MobiEnergy

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED

1. Health Problem 1: Lack of decent flashing toilets in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Most Countries in Sub-saharan Africa characterized with poor public toilet system which is dilapidated and lack of proper sanitation posing a risk for the outbreak of diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid.

2. Health Problem 2: Firewood cooking health effects

• Due to serious load-shedding and power outages in Sub-Saharan Africa, more demand for alternative sources of energy especially for cooking, are on the rise. More people are turning to firewood cooking which is dangerous for health.

PROPOSED SOLUTION

Our solution is to utilize mobile toilets in crowded market places, slums or sprawling townships in Sub-Saharan's Urban cities that lack clean toilet facilities and then use the human excreta to produce biogas energy using anaerobic digestion technology for clean cooking purposes.

EXPECTED IMPACT

• SDG 1
• SDG 3
• SDG 6
• SDG 7

SPECIFIC REGION, COUNTRY AND CITY

Sun-Saharan Africa, Zimbabwe, Harare Urban

PROBLEM 1: LACK OF PROPER SANITATION (LACK OF DECENT FLASHING TOILETS)

Lack of clean sanitation services in public places such as urban slums, market places or bus terminus areas is a big problem for many people. Close to 60 per cent of the population in Harare lacks access to proper sanitation. According to the WHO (2019), about 500 million people do not have proper sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

This creates a situation, whereby people end up defecating everywhere. This problem is worsened by serious water shortages in Harare. This can lead to public health disasters such as the outbreak of diarrheal diseases caused by lack of clean sanitary conditions.

Due to serious load-shedding and power outages in Zimbabwe, more demand for alternative sources of energy especially for cooking, are on the rise. With a population of 17 million people in Zimbabwe, about 63 per cent has no reliable energy access. Cooking with wood is more dangerous and each year close to 4 million people die prematurely as a result of inefficient polluting cooking methods (WHO, 2018). 

Our solution is to utilize mobile toilets in crowded market places, slums or sprawling townships in the city of Harare (Zimbabwe) that lack clean toilet facilities and then use the human excreta to produce biogas energy using anaerobic digestion technology for clean cooking purposes.

The waste (human excreta) that falls from the toilet into a large bin will be transported to our bio digester plant to produce clean natural gas that will be distributed for clean cooking purposes. 

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION AND POPULATION

The city of Harare in Zimbabwe is our target market. The population of Harare is estimated to be around 17 million (World Bank, 2019). Considering that 60 per cent of the population in Harare lacks access to proper sanitation, we expect to reach out to 1.2 million people in need of sanitation. It is most likely that the same number of people also lack clean sources of energy for healthy cooking; therefore, we estimate the total of our target market to be 1.3 million people. 

SPECIFIC TARGET AREAS

• Crowded market places
• Central Business District (CBD)
• Slums or sprawling townships

SPECIFIC TARGET CHARACTERS (TYPE OF CUSTOMERS)

• Vendors and Traders: They are found in crowded market places
• Women and Children: In place that lacks decnt toilets, they are the most affected.
• The Poor Majority: These are mainly located in urban slums.

ENGAGEMENT WITH THE POPULATION

On the 17th of March 2020, we conducted a stakeholder survey as part of our solution's Stakeholder engagement strategy. We interviewed 60 people randomly in the CBD of Harare concerning the state of public toilets. 

HOW WILL THE SOLUTION ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS?

• Improve public health standards.
• Increase access to clean fuels for cooking.

HOW THE SOLUTION RELATE TO THE CHALLENGE?

• The deployment of mobile toilets will help to strengthen public health standards. How? People will dispose their waste properly thereby preventing the outbreak of infectious and lethal diseases.
• Biogas will also decrease health problems caused by firewood cooking.

SOLUTION AND THE TARGET POPULATION

• Women and Children: There are most at risk to suffer form household air pollution.
• Traders and Vendors: They will end up defacating where there are no toilets.
• Poorest Majorty: They live in slums and lack adequate resources to afford decent flashing toilet systems. Thye are vulnerable to sanitation related diseases.

UNIQUENESS & ORIGINALITY-: MobiEnergy is the first of this kind in Africa that utilizes portable toilet business for both public health improvement and biogas production.

SCALABILITY-: The project can be “scaled” in any country facing health problems because of poor sanitation as well as lack of access to clean fuels for cooking.

QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS-: Our solution is a unique and healthy method of waste collection and utilization.

SUPERIOR-: Distinctive systematic thinking business model. 

AFFORDABILITY-: Our biogas will only cost 0.75 cents (USD) per kilogram, unlike other players who are selling traditional Liquefied Petroleum Gas with a cost of about USD 1.50 per kilogram. Sometimes it can be as much as USD 2 per kilogram; hence, most people, especially the poorest do not afford to purchase the LPG for cooking purposes. Our solution is pro-poor and seeks to alleviate extreme poverty. 

NEW SYTEMATIC BUSINESS MODEL AND PROCESS

• MobiEnergy is the first of this kind in Africa that utilizes portable (mobile) toilet business for both public health improvement and biogas production.
• The cutting-edge of our intervention is its uniqueness and innovativeness that emphasize more on value addition by making use of portable (mobile) toilets and then use the faeces for the purpose of producing biogas. In most cases, companies that operate mobile toilets usually throw away the waste (human excreta).

Even though our business model and distribution method is unique, this is a proven intervention in some parts of the world. A good example of an already proven intervention or project that closely relates to our solution is found in Nairobi, Kenya. The project's name is called Sanergy which focuses on sewered sanitation solutions that serve all urban residents and are 5 times cheaper than sewers. More information about Sanergy can be found on the following site http://www.sanergy.com/ . 

HOW THE AFFECTED POPULATION CURRENTLY SOLVE THE DESCRIBED PROBLEM?

Open Defecation Practices-: Due to lack of adequate toilets and inconsistent supply of tap water in Harare, most people resort to open defecation, hence cases of open defecation has been on the rise. In other words, residents end up using nearby fields and bushes as toilets.

Chopping Down Of Trees For Firewood Cooking Leading To Poor Health and Urban Deforestation-: As a result of serious electricity shortages, many people are chopping down trees for firewood cooking and this is leading to serious poor health and urban deforestation. Some are also using charcoal as an alternative which may also lead to pulmonary health effects. 

WHAT ARE GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS?

Wea are going to deploy mobile toilets in places that lack clean sanitation facilities. The waste from these mobile toilets will be processed to clean biogas for healthy cooking practices.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO EXECUTE OUR SOLUTION?

• We will strategically position our mobile toilets at busy market places in the central business district (CBD) where over 500,000 people pass through daily for work; slums and busy market places. Customers will pay a total of between USD 0.25c each for using our clean mobile toilets. We do this to sustain our business operations.
• We will produce biogas at our plant and then transport it to shopping centres in neighbourhoods and suburbs for selling to the residents through our agents. We will sell our gas at a very affordable price of USD 0.75c per kilogram to fight poverty alleviation.

THIS SOLUTION WILL WORK BECAUSE?

We conducted a stakeholder survey to source public opinion on the state or quality of public toilets in Harare. 60 people participated in the survey. The results revealed that developing MobiEnergy project could be a sustainable innovative solution for public health improvement and biogas production for Zimbabwe as well as other Sub-Saharan African countries.

• The feasibility assessment revealed that 93% of the participants rated mobile toilets as very important and 82% expressed the willingness to pay for toilets services.

Current: 0

One year: 768, 000

Five years: 3, 840, 000

We plan to start with 20 mobile (portable) toilets that will have the capacity to serve at least 24,000 people monthly and a daily biogas production of 10 m3 that will serve least 40,000 individuals/households monthly. Inevitably, our assets will also grow as we scale up the business to other countries. 

The business will grow by 500% in the first 5 years of operations (2021-2026). This will be made possible by scaling our business to at least other four sub-Saharan countries that include Zambia, Niger, Rwanda and Ethiopia. This will be done through replication in the abovementioned countries. 

If it all goes according to our plan, we expect to make a net revenue of about $7 million (USD) in five years of our operations and expenses of about $2 million in the same period. 

Market and Cultural Barriers: As a new player in the market, it will not be easy to just penetrate in the market, in communities. In some communities, it is considered a taboo to make use of something made from human excreta.

Government and Institutional Barriers: Bureaucracy and red tape are common barriers in public administration. Issuance of permits and licences might be delayed.

Corruption: The business may encounter peoplewho demand bribes in return for favours, for example, when trying to get a permit or licence.

Limited lines of funding: Getting funding is not an easy especially in Sub Saharan Africa.

How are we going to deal with market and cultural barriers? Engage in effective stakeholder engagement with our prospective customers, the government and other players as well. 

How are we going to deal with government and Institutional barriers? 

We will carry out all the necessary paper work far ahead of time to minimize the impact of inconveniences.

How are we going to deal with corruption? Notifying law enforcement agencies of the detected offence.

How are we going to get funding? We will continue to apply for grants and competitions so that we can raise more funding. So far we have managed to raise about $5000. We shall also sell some of our assets, initiate crowdfunding and personal savings in order to raise more funds. Private Equity in the form of an Angel Investor is also a good option for us in return for shares. 

So far we have a team of four (including myself) committed, diverse and hardworking team. the following are thier names and short profiles

1. Miss Djalia Umutangampundu (Msc Water Policy) Full-time

Nationality: Rwandese

2. Miss Chanda Chalwe (Msc Energy Policy) Part-time

Nationality: Zambia

3. Mr. Emmanuel B. Muzingwani (Msc International Relations) Part-time

Nationality: Zimbabwe

1. Djalia Umutangampundu

2. Emmanuel B. Muzingwani

3. Karen Chalwe Chanda

4. Shingirayi Kondongwe

We currently do not have any partner organizations.

BUSINESS-TO-CUSTOMER (B2C) MODEL AND DISTRIBUTION METHOD

• We will strategically position our mobile pay toilets at busy market places in the central business district (CBD) where over 500,000 people pass through daily for work; slums and busy market places. Customers will pay a total of between USD 0.25c each for using our clean mobile toilets. We do this to sustain our business operations.
• We will produce biogas at our plant and then transport it to shopping centres in neighbourhoods and suburbs for selling to the residents through our agents. We will sell our gas at a very affordable price of USD 0.75c per kilogram to fight poverty alleviation.

EXPECTED IMPACT

(i)           SDG 1- This project will greatly reduce poverty and promote social inclusion. Our intervention will greatly help by selling biogas for cooking at affordable prices.

(ii)          SDG 3- Our solution will promote good health and well-being. 

(iii)         SDG 6- This solution will ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. 

(iv)         SDG 7- Our solution will increase access to clean sources of fuel for healthy cooking practices. 

(v)          SDG 13- Our project will also help to combat climate change and its impacts by encouraging the use of biogas instead of fossils for cooking purposes.

(vi)         SDG 15- The solution will also combat deforestation. Biogas also prevent the chopping down of trees (forests) for cooking. 

HOW MOBIENERGY WILL MAKE MONEY?

(i)Fees from Mobile Toilets deployment --- [ USD 0.25 cents per use/per person]

(ii)Biogas sales --- [ USD 0.75 cents per kg]

Nb. Our revenues will be able to cover all our expenses.

HOW WILL RAISE ENOUGH CAPITAL FOR MOBIENERGY?

Source of finance/funding

Estimated amount  USD

Grants

20,000

Start-up capital from personal savings including other shareholders/business partners

10,000

Crowdfunding and selling of assets

5,000

Private equity (Angel Investor) in return for 20% shares

15,000

Based on my understanding of the Solve Challenge 2020, my team’s greatest expectations is to network (to make business connections) with other various fellow greenepreneurs. These may also include already established and prominent business individuals and companies. Our long-term plan is to expand the business into other African countries and beyond the African region; hence, a strong international business network will make this endeavour a reality. What we need most is to learn on how to build strong networks and maintain relations. Our aim is also to achieve advanced entrepreneurial business skills and knowledge that will help us in our long-term professional ambitions.

Our goal is to partner with Social Entrepreneurs, Social Enteprises, Private sector, local government, not for profits just to name a few. Firstly, we aim to strengthen local partnerships with the government of Zimbabwe including its key strategic institutions and local governments. 

secondly, we will develop an international business plan that we formulate our strategy for foreign and external partnerships. Since we aim to scale to atleast four sub-saharan countries within the first 5 years of our operations, formulating partnerships becomes a key strategic activity. 

1. UNIDO- This specialized agency of the United Nations has a primary focus on promoting sustainable energy. They will assist us on the aspect of biogas production. For more information https://www.unido.org/unido-sustainable-energy .

2. MIT Solve Community- Being associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a lifetime opportunity. I will be able to learn more from this elite marketplace for social impact innovation. 

3. Sanergy- A leader in provides non-sewered sanitation solutions, we draw our inspiration from this organization. They will assist us when it comes to the issue of operations experience. For more information http://www.sanergy.com/ .

We qualify because our solution satisfies the expectations of the Solve Challenge. We are solvers, social entrepreneurs whose mission is to promote social equity and equality.

The core purpose of our solution is to improve public health standards, hence we strongly believe that we qualify for this prize. 

Our team will use the prize to purchase key materials and equipment for our operations.

Looking at how many SDGs our solution impact, we deserve to be considered for the people's choice award. MobiEnergy directly promote the following SDGs:

• SDG 1
• SDG 3
• SDG 6
• SDG 7

Considering our potential to benefit a large group of people around the globe we deserve to be considered for this prize. Our solution can be scaled in any country facing health problems as a result of poor sanitation as well as lack of access to clean fuels for cooking.