PAMOJA is a for-profit social enterprise working in the field of rural decentralized renewable energy solutions. We solve some of the most pressing Energy needs for Rural BoP (Base of the Pyramid) people in East Africa. PAMOJA utilizes refused biomass residues as a source to enable various energy services. We are active and present in Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique and India.
—————————- NEWS 2020 —————————-
Launch of the Smart Cookstove in Mozambique
Pamoja Cleantech AB has received support from EEP Africa to develop its clean cooking and sustainable biomass fuel business in Nampula region, Mozambique. The project will scale up the clean cooking business that uses locally-available cashew shells as cooking fuel through the launch of a fan-assisted smart cookstove that includes solar-powered lighting and phone charging (Tier 4). The project will integrate PAYG and sensor technology into the stove and sell it as a package with a basic smartphone, solar panel, battery and LED light. Customers will pay a monthly subscription fee for the stove package and the fuel, which is made from processed cashew shells and sold under the brand name Moro Wakoroxo. EEP Africa financing will enable Pamoja to further develop its fuel preparation and distribution infrastructure and scale-up its fuel sales network and micro-financing platform.
The project aims to reach 3,000 households in Nampula with portable, solar PV-integrated clean cookstoves. Fuel made from locally-abundant cashew shells will replace the use of charcoal and firewood, which will reduce indoor pollution and mitigate climate change. This will also lead to significant household savings on the cost of fuel, lighting and phone charging. By including smartphones in the stove sales package, Pamoja Cleantech will enable a reliable PAYG system and increase the spread of modern communications technology in an underserved market, which will contribute to overall economic development.
Project financed by EEP Africa. EEP Africa is hosted and managed by the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) with financing from Austria, Finland and NDF.
Join our team of inspiring change makers.
PAMOJA hires a high level Sales & Project Manager in Nampula, Mozambique. More details here.
—————————- NEWS 2019 —————————-
Mozambique Stove Project Progressing
PAMOJA has successfully roled out sales of 300 cooking stoves
The two first milestones of the NORAD financed “Waste-to-Energy in the Cashew industry” project have been concluded. The main objective of the pilot phase; to lay the ground for a commercial business to start operation based on the use of cashew shell residue, has been reached.
Pamoja Moçambique LDA was incorporated on June 5th and will be fully operational from August 1st. The main tasks of Pamoja Moçambique LDA are to sell imported stoves on a credit-based scheme (with loanand equity from Pamoja Cleantech AB), support and manage a network of agents in communities in and around Nampula, collect stove payments, distribute and sell our fuel “Moro Wakoroxo”, and promote our concept and spread awareness of clean cooking to a broader market. Local assembly of our simpler natural draft stove “the Peko Pe” might also be included in collaboration with Norwegian company Miombo once a contract with a larger industrial customer has been signed.
By end of July, 2018 we have imported 850 stoves out of which roughly 300 have been sold to customers and monthly sales are in the range of 50 stoves per month.
Thank You NORAD for the support!
———————— PAMOJA’s Integrated System Approach ————————–
———– The Millenium Development Goals are Facing these Core Issues ———-
No Electricity
95% of people living in Rural Uganda don’t have access to Electricity. As a result, they are stuck in a perpetual cycle of poverty and low-productivity economy. People are using expensive Kerosene for lighting, which causes indoor air-pollution and poses a fire-hazard.
Deforestation
70% of forests in Uganda & East Africa have been cut due to agricultural expansion, charcoal production & collection of firewood for cooking.
Middlemen
70% of the value-chain in agriculture is captured by middle-men in Uganda, East Africa and most of the developing countries, thus keeping the small rural farmer in perpetual poverty.
—————————- PAMOJAs Solutions —————————-
Virtual Grid
PAMOJA sets up its own mini-grid to distribute power to its anchor load customers, like trading centers, telecom towers & households.
To extend the reach of the mini-grid, PAMOJA has developed a Virtual Grid involving the use of Charging Battery Services. In this service, lanterns are rented out to the BoP households on a daily rental, through micro-entrepreneurs.
Agroforestry
PAMOJA is growing sustainable biomass through Agro-Forestry initiatives in partnership with local communities. None of our fuel comes from unmanaged forests or competes with food production. By using agricultural residues and wood from dedicated tree plantings, we create additional income for farmers, provide examples for improved agricultural practices, and therefore reduce pressure on natural forests.
Additionally, PAMOJA is using the bio-char from its biomass gasification process to produce biomass briquettes, so as to displace charcoal for cooking.
Processing
PAMOJA is using its biomass gasification power plant to power up agro-processing machines (like maize-milling plant) to provide an end-to-end agro-processing service, in which the corn brought in by the farmer is thrashed, milled & packaged at a price charged as UGX 200/kg. Thus, the farmer is able to sell the packaged flour at market price and capture bulk of the value-addition.