Sopowerful Foundation

This week marks our 5-year anniversary! 🎉 We’re beyond grateful to celebrate this milestone, having implemented over 30 projects with an incredible and growing team. None of this would have been possible without the trust and collaboration of more than 40 amazing partners who share our mission. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who have been part of this journey and is making a tangible and sustainable impact with us.  Here’s to the next 5 years of making a difference—together! 💛 BayWa r.e. EMEA | Voltiq - Energy Transition Finance | Encavis AG | LONGi Solar | Sunrock | GPSS Group | Klimaatfonds Nederland | SolarPartners | Hyphen Renewables | Green Horse Advisory | EDP Renewables | STÄUBLI | Higeco More | Enlight Energy Services | Green Arrow Capital | Energie Nuove Srl | Ameri Power | Green Zone Consulting | Wessel Management GmbH | Floating Solar | Joulz | Ecorus | Energy Solutions Group | Raptech srl | ZIMMERMANN PV-Steel Group | re:cap global investors ag | GreenGo Srl | REA - Reliable Energy Advisors | Plain Energy GmbH | Solarfields | Sinergies Group | Innovo Renewables S.p.A. | Our New Energy | Chint Solar Europe #sopowerful #solarwhereitmattersmost #ruralelectrification #sdgs #sustainableimpact

🎉 A new chapter for Matiya Health Centre! The community of Matiya celebrated the inauguration of its new solar system. For years, the health centre struggled with frequent power outages, limiting its ability to provide essential services. Today, it stands energized, offering reliable electricity for lighting, medical equipment, and vaccine storage. The celebration was unforgettable, with traditional dances and heartfelt speeches from local leaders. A massive thank you to everyone who made this possible! #sopowerful #solarwhereitmattersmost #sdgs #sdg3 #sgd7 #renewableenergy #ruralelectrification #healthcare #sustainability

With an international team (by now 7 nationalities and located in 6 countries) it is a challenge to all know each other and be connected! During our call, we spent an informal hour getting to know each other better by sharing photos representing personal and memorable moments. The twist? The photos were shared anonymously, sparking conversations and stories as we guessed who they might belong to and learned more about each other in the process. We really enjoyed this 'remote moment together' and will try to plan this at least every two months. We're eager to learn about how other international organizations maintain team cohesion and connection, even when you're spread out over different locations! #sopowerful #solarwhereitmattersmost #sdgs #energy #solar #ruralelectrification #health #education #safewater #safefood

This week we held our yearly team retreat! Two days of getting to know each other better outside the daily work, in nature 🌳⛅️⛰️ We definitely enjoyed the time, hikes and meals together, as well as the remote session we held with our colleagues who could not join in person. Now we are refreshed and ready for the last intense weeks of this year! 💪🏽 #sopowerful #teambuilding #solarwhereitmattersmost #malawi #nature

Healthcare at Sengerema Hospital, in the north-west of Tanzania, is now solar powered! ☀🔌🏥 Two weeks ago we commissioned the system, consisting of 198kWp of solar generation and 480kWh of battery storage. As the hospital was founded in 1959, some of the existing electrical infrastructure and roofs have been upgraded. We also constructed a dedicated power room for the inverters and the batteries. ⚡️ Now, healthcare for more than 64.000 of the poorest in this region of Tanzania is not dictated by power outages or high diesel costs, but can rely on clean and uninterrupted electricity obtained from the sun. Last Friday the inauguration of the solar system and the brand-new operating theatre building took place. The celebration event was attended by the Tanzanian Minister of Energy, Mr. Doto Mashaka Biteko and other stakeholders that have been involved in these important developments at the hospital. 📊 The next months we will be focused on further optimizing the system and its integration with the local grid and hospital diesel backup, as well as improving energy management measures together with the hospital's appointed Solar System Manager. We are both proud and thankful for being able to implement this change, which is completely in line with our mission '𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵', and support the hospital in its life-saving work. 🙏 A massive thank you to: ▪️ our Partners and funders, for their trust and for making this project possible ▪️ the hospital, for co-investing with us and believing in this change from the start ▪️ Greenlink ReGen, the EPC, for the hard work and great collaboration through the highs and lows of the project ▪️ Stichting Vrienden Sengerema Hospital, for their valuable support across the implementation of this project ▪️ our team, for the hard work and dedication, on-site and from remote, over the last months ▪️ all other stakeholders that have contributed to the successful implementation of this project. #sopowerful #solarwhereitmattersmost #sdg3 #sdg7 #tanzania #solarenergy #ruralelectrification #healthcare #health #change

Why does our 'power room' at Mlambe Hospital now has a second roof? 🏠 The container is the heart of the system at the hospital: it contains all the inverters, batteries and other key equipment. Too high temperatures for too long impact the functioning and durability of the components. Even with airconditioning installed in the container, under the Malawian sun the temperatures measured by the sensor reached 46 degrees Celcius! 🔥 We decided to install a separate roof, which hangs above the container. This way the sunrays can't heat up the container directly anymore.  The results: the maximum measured temperatures are now 10 degrees lower than before ✅ #lessons #adaptation #solarwhereitmattersmost #malawi #sdg7 #sdg3

On Monday we held our second #SopowerfulPartnerEvent in Milan, Italy. Around 15 of our Partners were represented for this yearly get-together, as well as several organizations that were interested to learn more about our work, approach and results. 🔸 We enjoyed a 'Milanese aperitivo' and precious face-to-face interaction with our Partners, discussing our challenges and learnings. 🔸 Stefano Cruccu provided an update on our achievements last year and insights in our recent projects. 🔸 Part of our team joined from remote, providing the perspective of our work on the ground in Malawi and Tanzania. 🔸 Two of our volunteers, Martina Manzoni and Giulia Rossi, shared about their motivation, experiences and expectations of working with Sopowerful. Two quotes from participants: “We were present at this event last year, and it’s great to see the progress Sopowerful has made. The growing impacts - both in lives changed and solar power generated - are impressive. As a partner, GreenGo is proud to be part of this journey and happy to see the Sopowerful team grow.” Federico Pupeschi, GreenGo "One of the highlights of working with Sopowerful is the presence of a professional local team and clear and timely communication. This gives a deeper understanding of the projects we support and the local context in which Sopowerful operates" Rita Selleri, NextEnergy Foundation Thanks to everybody who joined us and a special thanks to our Partner Innovo Renewables S.p.A. for hosting us this evening. GreenGo Srl, DLA Piper, Our New Energy, NextEnergy Foundation, Raptech srl, REA - Reliable Energy Advisors, Green Horse Advisory, Solarfields, Enlight Energy Services, Peridot Solar, Higeco Energy S.R.L. | Startup innovativa, Iberdrola, Innovo Renewables S.p.A. #solarwhereitmattersmost #partnerships #networking #italy

Thank you LONGi Africa for highlighting this project! We are eager to continue using solar energy to transform communities. Here’s to future collaboration and shared success in making a sustainable impact!

The panels finally arrived! 💪🏽 At the end of this busy week, we're thrilled to share some updates on the Sengerema DDH Solar Project in Tanzania. Sengerema Hospital, an important healthcare provider in the region, serves over 100,000 patients annually. Unfortunately, frequent power cuts severely disrupted operations at the hospital, compromising care for vulnerable patients and regularly damaging important medical equipment. Thanks to a new solar power system, the hospital will soon benefit from reliable power supply. This includes 448 solar panels (198 kwp), supported by six batteries totaling 480 kWh of storage. This project will result in significant savings for the hospital annually, significantly enhancing patient care and supporting future medical advancements. Additionally, we're committed to training hospital staff to ensure the proper operation and maintenance of the system, guaranteeing the sustainability of this vital infrastructure. We have some busy weeks ahead, but are excited to power a brighter future at the hospital together with our partners! #sopowerful #solarwhereitmattersmost #SolarEnergy #SustainableHealthcare #sdg3 #health #Tanzania

Just 4kwp of solar capacity continues to revolutionize lives for over 5,000 people at Mchisa Farming Scheme in Mangochi, Malawi! ☀ Last week, our visit revealed farmers already harvesting and preparing for a second cultivation cycle after the rainy season, utilizing solar-powered irrigation to maximize productivity in this dry season. Maize, tomatoes, onions, and more flourish here, demonstrating the value of solar power in enabling sustainable agriculture that improves food security. 🌱 Check out our drone shots in the swipe-up to see the vibrant transformation of Mchisa's fields! #sopowerful #solarwhereitmattersmost #malawi #solarpower #foodsecurity #sgd2 #sdgs #farming #ruralelectrification