This is my first EGG-energy blog post (first blog post ever, actually). From now on I’ll be posting more regularly as things get rolling here in Tanzania.
First, let me introduce you to a few new EGGs:
Hussein, our first local employee, was chosen from a pool of 7 candidates after a full day of interviews. He lives in Mvuti, where he runs a small beverage business and has worked in the past as a clerk in UNHCR camps in Kagera. He’ll be responsible for keeping the batteries charged, getting them between the charging station and the village, and managing the customer accounts and associated records. We’ll be learning a lot from Hussein.
Micah has a background in international development and worked as an employment specialist at Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta. He will be working on defining our employee hiring, training, and evaluation procedures. Micah will also be in charge of our surveying, monitoring, and market assessment work.
EGG-energy in Mvuti: from left to right, Micah, Hussein, and Deus (IB Energy)
Since our last update from Tanzania, we’ve made some good progress:
- Our six test installations are up and running, and our customers are very satisfied
- Word of mouth has reached into nearby villages. I’ve been approached by residents of villages 8 km away from Mvuti asking when we’re coming to them. (It helps that I’m easily recognizable here.)
- We’re on track to meet our target date of November 1 for the start of our full-scale pilot
- EGG-energy Inc. has been incorporated in the US
- The incorporation and registration of EGG-energy Ltd. is underway in Tanzania. In the meantime, we are working with IB Energy Ltd., a Tanzanian renewable energy firm, to implement our feasibility study and to get ready for our full-scale pilot.
More to come soon!
- Jamie
