Multimedia

Speeches Shim

Power Africa Lighting Up Malawian Households Through Off-Grid Electrification

Learn more about the interventions Power Africa is implementing in Malawi and hear about the impact our work has made through the voices of SHS companies and one of their customers.

Power Africa: The Power of Partnership

Through the Power of Partnership, Power Africa is turning lights on across sub-Saharan Africa. With more than 170 public and private sector institutions on board, Power Africa is a truly global partnership focused on a shared goal: increasing access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. In this video, our partners describe Power Africa's unique role in development and the shared belief that the long-term benefits of Power Africa will be felt for generations to come.

With My Solar Lantern, I Can...

This Power Africa video sheds light on the innovative ways people have used solar lanterns to improve their lives.

Power Africa 2018 Annual Report

The Power Africa 2018 Annual Report also looks to the future, and explains how Power Africa will continue to add generation capacity and connections, but will further look to enhance transmission and distribution resources, improving government capacities to manage their power sectors, and leveling the playing field for competitive investment.

Growing Ghana's Grid

Weldy-Lamont, an engineering firm in Illinois, sources parts from U.S. factories to help Ghana electrify rural villages. Here's the story of one engineer helping to create economic prosperity in both countries — in partnership with the U.S. Government’s Power Africa initiative. Through the U.S. Export-Import Bank, Power Africa supports Weldy-Lamont in expanding Ghana’s electric grid. Ghana’s grid electrification generated $57 million in exports for over 20 U.S. companies. Led by USAID, Power Africa is proud to promote economic opportunities in both Ghana and the U.S.

Power Africa's Ohio visit to First Solar

First Solar, a Power Africa partner, is the United State’s largest manufacturer of thin-film solar PV modules. First Solar is a leading global provider of comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) solar systems using advanced module and system technology.

Power Africa's Ohio visit to Rickly Hydro

Rickly Hydrological is a small business based in Columbus, Ohio that manufactures small turbines. The Rickly family has been making market-leading hydrological instrumentation for nearly 100 years.

Power Africa’s Ohio Visit to IES/Technibus

Awarded the “Presidential Award for Export Success” under the Commerce Department, Technibus, Inc. is a global leader in the supply of metal enclosed bus systems.

Power Africa Visits to Detroit Stoker

The Detroit Stoker Company is a leading supplier of combustion systems and equipment which have been used worldwide. Detroit Combustion Systems have been used for the production of steam used for heat, industrial processing and electric power generation.

Power Africa Domestic Engagement Roadshow

Power Africa Coordinator Andrew M. Herscowitz traveled to Ohio and Michigan with a U.S. Government Interagency team from July 9 to 12, 2018 to visit a number of U.S. companies and facilities, many of which are current Power Africa partners.

Power Africa Stories

A Day in the Dark

Exploring life in Africa without access to electricity: When President Obama launched Power Africa, we started thinking a lot about what a day in the “dark” would look like. We spent a full day on the outskirts of Nairobi to see for ourselves what life without electricity means and how it impacts the lives of the people we met. Here’s our photo diary from sunrise to sunset. Read More

Teresia Turns on the Light

Teresia Olotai knows that life can be hard for Maasai women. When the sun goes down, their responsibilities remain, but the obstacles grow. That all changed in 2013 when Power Africa arrived. Electricity has brought more than just light to Lobulu bona. It’s given the Maasai a door to the world. Read More

Biogas Turns Trash to Treasure

Is one man’s waste, another man’s power? If you ask Kenyan entrepreneur, Amos Nguru, the answer is yes. While solar and wind power are popular sustainable energy sources in Africa, Amos is hedging his bets on another source - biogas, a byproduct of human waste. At his home in Kiserian, Amos elevates bio-digesting —- or the breakdown of waste byproducts into biogas that can be converted to energy, into a sustainable art form. Read More

USAID Powers Bomas in Tanzania

Tanzania‘s rural population makes up almost 70 percent of the country. Of this rural population, just one out of 10 have access to electricity. Power Africa is supporting new photovoltaic “micro-grids” for Maasai bomas, or settlements. With power for the first time, children can study at night, cell phones can be charged in case of emergencies, refrigerators used to keep medicine and milk cold and used to deter intruders from a community‘s cattle at night. See More

Behind the Lens: Photographing the President in Kenya, again

Chief Official White House Photographer, Pete Souza, documents President Obama’s trip to Kenya in July 2015, which included a visit to the Power Africa Innovation Fair in Nairobi. Read More