The results of our inaugural Energy Sector Photo Contest are in! Congratulations to our 2022 Winners.
USAID’s energy programs work with all aspects of the energy sector to build strong and resilient systems that can power global economic and social development. Not only do they promote economic growth in partner countries by expanding access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy services; but they also underpin many of the strategic objectives of our new Climate Strategy and are helping establish a foundation for net-zero emissions all over the globe.
Our inaugural Photo Contest received 63 submissions from 19 partners across the world! These winning photographs tell the story of USAID’s energy programming across a variety of sectors, such as gender, energy access, infrastructure, climate, and power sector reform. Congratulations to our winners and to all participants.
1st Place: USAID Power Africa East Africa Energy Program
Photo Credit: Edson Dushimimana / USAID
Claudine Mahoro, a female apprentice supported by the USAID Power Africa East Africa Energy Program’s Women in Rwandan Energy (WIRE) initiative, works with the national utility, the Rwanda Energy Group (REG), to install an electricity pole.
“That was the most exciting day of my internship with Power Africa at REG,” Claudine said. “I was working on power extension connections that were being brought closer to the community and I was able to connect two poles. After my six month apprenticeship, REG hired me as an Electrical Engineer in the Nyamasheke Branch.”
The WIRE activity supports over 1,400 women to enter into the male dominated energy sector through many activities, including an Apprenticeship Program. This program has supported 150 recent female STEM graduates in Rwanda by providing them hands-on work experiences at energy companies, which will help them launch careers in the sector.
2nd Place: Futurepump
Photo Credit: © Jeffrey Michael Walcott / Futurepump
A farmer in Kendu Bay, Kenya uses a Futurepump solar-powered water pump. This particular pump, manufactured in 2016, is one of the first models Futurepump produced. Futurepump works to continuously update their products using feedback from customers like this farmer, so early adopters and field testing have been essential to their progress.
Futurepump is a manufacturer of solar water pumps and works to bring opportunity to smallholder farmers through access to reliable and sustainable irrigation. It was part of USAID’s Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge Innovator’s Cohort from 2015–2021, and currently works with 26 distributors mainly in Africa and Asia. Futurepump has sold over 12,000 pumps globally.
In areas with little or no access to reliable energy, solar-powered water pumps contribute to rural electrification and reduce energy costs for irrigation. As solar panels become cheaper and increasingly portable, solar water pumps are becoming a versatile, viable alternative to water pumps powered by fossil fuels. They are ideal for delivering water to remote locations where power lines cannot reach because they do not require expensive, polluting fuel and are not labor intensive.
3rd Place: USAID Power Africa Nigeria Power Sector Program
Photo Credit: USAID / Power Africa
In Lagos State, Nigeria, an Egbin Power engineer performs an equipment check. Egbin Power is the largest generation station in Nigeria with an installed capacity of 1,320 MW. The USAID Power Africa Nigeria Power Sector Program (PA-NPSP) worked with Egbin Power to increase available generation capacity and energy output to the national grid.
Nigeria’s on-grid sector plays a significant role in driving economic growth and social development. As Power Africa’s flagship program in Nigeria, PA-NPSP supports a range of initiatives to increase generation capacity and works across the power sector value chain to improve access to affordable, reliable power.
The program also implements gender-sensitive interventions and supports policies and activities to maximize opportunities to integrate and increase the representation of women in the power sector workforce. Through its gender work, PA-NPSP has developed a pipeline of women with relevant technical and professional skills to meet sector labor demands and advance women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.