Innovation Window: Pump-preneurs: Energy Solutions for the Smallholder Sector of Malawi

This project has been implemented by MAEVE Project under the EnDev Innovation Window, aiming at promoting the use of a solar powered irrigation pump, on this agenda, the Lorentz PS2-100 and Future Pumps. This project was put in place to create entrepreneurs dubbed “Pump-preneurs” who purchase the pumps on installment over 18 months. The pumps are strictly for crop irrigation purposes and the target areas are southern parts of Malawi that struggle with ample rainfall to ensure good harvests. The learnings indicated that a lot of the current end users have experienced good water irrigation on their land using the Lorentz Pump with majority expressing how the pump has given them the opportunity to increase production during dry season and ultimately spending less capital in paying for the pump versus paying casual laborers to fetch water or using expensive diesel pumps. Moreover, farmers who focus on horticulture have had the biggest advantage to date reaping bumper harvests since the pump was taken on board and are always first to pay instalments without fail each month.