SIEMENS

When night falls on Lake Victoria and the waters grow dark, that's when the working day begins for Pottas Aboy and his three co-workers. The four Kenyan fishermen paddle their boat out onto Africa's largest lake — and keep going until the shore is visible as only a thin sliver in the distance. The men then carefully place a small raft into the water. The raft contains a blue battery; above it an Osram energy-saving lamp dangles from a support made of branches. The water shimmers dark green in the light of the lamp. "The light mainly attracts omena, a type of sardine," Aboy explains, and then gives his home-made raft a gentle shove and watches it slowly disappear in the darkness on the lake. "Now we wait until enough fish have gathered around the light of the raft," says Aboy. "After that, we'll toss a net around the raft and pull it back in quickly." Aboy stares into the night, where the only thing still visible is a small shimmering light — bobbing on a lake as big as Ireland.
Equipped with their new electric lamps, Aboy and his three colleagues are pioneers among the approximately 175,000 fishermen who fish in the waters of Lake Victoria. While it's true that native fishermen have been using light as bait for generations, the light source has been kerosene lamps. According to the Global Nature Fund (GNF), a development aid organization, this tradition has had fatal consequences: The highly flammable kerosene has resulted in many fishermen being seriously burned. The kerosene also leaks, further polluting what is already not the cleanest water. Greenhouse gases are an issue as well. The kerosene burned in lamps used around the lake produces around 50,000 t of CO₂ per year, reports the GNF.
Nevertheless, it has been very difficult for people in the region to break with their tradition, especially in view of the fact that most of the approximately 30 million people who live around Lake Victoria have no access to electricity. So they are left with no choice but to use the toxic kerosene fuel — not just for fishing, but also to light their homes. Things changed in April 2008, though, when Osram and the GNF began to offer an alternative to provide clean and safe lighting sources to the people in the region, within the framework of a project known as "Umeme Kwa Wote" (Energy for Everyone).

Self-Sufficient Charging Stations. This alternative is made possible by "Energy Hubs" — small electrical charging stations powered by roof-mounted solar cells that make the hubs completely independent of power grids. "The people in the region can lease our energy-saving lamps from an Energy Hub, as well as batteries that they can recharge at the same location," explains Jochen Berner, Osram's manager for the project. "Along with the lamps, we also provide purified drinking water and a mobile phone recharging service." Osram has already built four Energy Hubs — three in Kenya and one in neighboring Uganda.
The hubs, which are operated by partner company Thames Electrical of Kenya, and by Dembe Trading in Uganda, have a bright future. Says Osram's Chief Sustainability Officer, Wolfgang Gregor, "At the moment, we're negotiating with the World Bank and industrial partners on expanding the project, whereby our goal is to build a further 100 or so Energy Hubs in Africa, and 20 in Asia."
One Energy Hub is located in the town of Mbita (population 15,000) on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria. The orange-white brick building that houses the hub is surrounded by corrugated iron shacks. Between the structures a few chickens peck at the dust. Here, the world seems to be taking a siesta in the oppressive midday heat. But there's plenty of activity taking place behind the walls of the local hub, with its 42 solar panels constantly pumping the energy from tropical sunlight into batteries for energy-saving lamps, at outputs of up to 10 kW.
It takes approximately three hours to charge the batteries, each of which weighs five kilos. When completely recharged, the batteries can light up the 11-W energy-saving lamps from Osram for up to 12 hours. "That's more than enough for a night of fishing," says Berner. "But the main benefit offered by our lamps is their low price." He explains that those who would like to rent a lamp must leave a deposit of around 2,000 Kenyan shillings, or approximately €20. That's a lot of money for people whose average monthly income is only €35. On the other hand, battery recharging or exchange at the hub costs only 100 shillings, or about €1. "We work with local institutions that specialize in micro loans to help ensure that people who need the lamps can afford to use them," Berner says. "You have to keep in mind that the deposit costs about as much as a new kerosene lantern, with the difference being that our customers get their money back when they no longer need the lamp." Berner also points out that the recharging fee at the Energy Hub is relatively inexpensive when you consider that a fisherman uses around 1.5 liters of kerosene each night, which costs approximately 150 shillings. "With us, the customer only pays 100 shillings a night, so they save 30 %." In addition, customers can use the batteries to power other devices such as mobile phones and radios.
While this economic model may sound convincing, in the beginning it didn't generate much interest, as is true of many development projects. "People here tend to cling very strongly to their traditions, and the social and decision-making structures are completely different from those in industrialized countries," Berner explains. "For example, if a man is interested in one of our lamps, it's possible that his wife might veto the decision because women are often responsible for the family budget in Africa." The Osram team therefore had to do a lot of persuading and patiently establish new relationships. Nevertheless, as Berner reports, they succeeded. "We now have about 600 customers using the lamps from our three Kenyan hubs, and 150 of them are fishermen," he says.

Light at Mama Austin's. Although the clean, bright lamps were originally developed for use by fishermen, they are now increasingly being used in local households. In the village of Nyandiwa, around 50 km south of Mbita, for example, the lamps can be found in a store operated by Mama Austin. Her corrugated shack is packed with all kinds of merchandise, and one wall is adorned with a poster of U.S. President Barack Obama, whose grandmother lives nearby. A lone Osram lamp hangs from the store's ceiling. "I used to have to close the store at sundown," says Mama Austin. "Now I just turn on the lamp and keep the store open until nine — and business is better as a result." The bright light appeals not only to customers but to children. "They can come in the evening to study without ruining their eyes or having to breathe in smoke from kerosene lamps," she adds.
The kerosene lamps are responsible for lung disease and most of the fires that the village has suffered, says Ben Otieno, who manages the Energy Hub in Nyandiwa. "Three houses once burned down in just one month," he recalls. "When that happens, the people are left with literally nothing." This is why Otieno believes the success of the project hinges on making people aware of the health benefits offered by the Osram lamps.

Extremely Pure Drinking Water. The Energy Hubs also provide drinking water — thanks in part to the efforts of Otieno and his two colleagues, who have succeeded in convincing local people of the health benefits of pure water. More and more people are now coming to the small faucet at the front of the hub to fill their canisters with water, paying two shillings per liter. That's an investment in good health, Otieno believes, because many of the villagers draw their water from Lake Victoria and drink it without boiling it — although they wash their clothes in the lake and use it as a toilet.
"That's why we are hit with a cholera epidemic here every year, and the lack of adequate medical care makes that an enormous problem," says Otieno. "Osram water, on the other hand, is completely safe — and word of that has spread throughout the village."
The water is safe thanks to a sophisticated treatment unit that transforms rainwater collected in a tank next to the hub into very pure drinking water. The unit, which is powered by rooftop solar cells, filters out large particles, then passes the water through an activated carbon filter that binds all chemical substances and neutralizes odors. The water is then channeled through a micro filter to remove the tiniest substances.
After that, the unit's attention turns to any remaining bacteria or viruses, which are exposed to an 11-W ultraviolet sterilization lamp that disinfects the water. "Rain permitting, we can process up to 3,000 liters of water per day with the unit," reports Otieno, "and the quality of the water is superior to that offered by our public wells."
Otieno is convinced that the self-sufficient Energy Hubs with their integrated water purification service have a bright future in Kenya, and that they can successfully compete against kerosene use. However, a new competitor will soon be trying to lure away Energy Hub customers: High-voltage power lines have now reached some villages, posing a potential threat to the energy pioneers' prospects. Berner doesn't seem concerned, though. "The electrical connection alone costs 32,000 shillings, and then you have to pay the bills for the power you use," he says. Hardly anyone can afford that, Berner believes, adding that even people who have electrical connections will use the reliable Osram lamps as backups. "The grid fails for a couple of hours every day," he points out.
For Pottas Aboy and his three fellow fishermen, it's time to go into action on the lake again. They row to the small light they see dancing on the waves in the distance. Mosquitoes appear as they reach the raft, but the men pay no attention as they toss out their net and begin to pull it back. The water under the net begins to bubble as the light of the lamp illuminates a dense school of fish, making them look like pieces of silver treasure. Aboy's working day has begun.