In December last year, Grace Clean Energy and Water Limited, a social impact company started operations in Uganda. The company currently has an installed customer base of 475. 

“I've been active in the clean water and clean energy sector for the last 14 years because I'm a social impact business owner and investor. I wanted to make sure that we could provide products and services in both areas, to schools, to government offices, medical clinics, refugee camps and others. I thought, let me take my experience that I've accumulated and launch this new company in Uganda. Access to energy and clean water are both considered human rights,” Dinese Hannewald, the company founder says.

Coming from a background that believes in giving back and making the world a better place, the social impact model of business worked best to deliver this purpose and ensure sustainability. 

“Sustainability for me means my company has to break even, make maybe a small profit. I don't need to be greedy and make a lot of money. What's important is to create jobs. And to also make sure that my team, my employees, become owners in the company,” she says.

Employees that have worked with the business get the option of becoming shareholders. She believes that diversification of employment is important for a young population. 

“In Uganda 80% of the population are employed by the agricultural sector. And I believe diversification is important,” she says.

Products

On the energy side, the company sells solar panels and power sets.

“When there's no sunlight all that power is saved in a battery, so it can be accessed during the day, as well as during the night. This is very important for children’” Hannewald says.

They have power sets from 250 Watt, up to one kilowatt.

“We will come to their facilities or to their building and install the solar panels and the power sets and we make sure the electricity is working,” she says. 

On the drinking water side, they have a vast array of products imported from either North America or from Europe that have a lifespan of at least 10 years.

“We actually have a very unique water purifier that can purify up to 2,200 litres a day and it requires no power, no maintenance and no spare parts. This is invented by a German professor and we are the exclusive distributor for this product, which is fantastic especially for NGOs because it can be used as a portable or permanent water purification system,” she says.

Challenges

The major challenges have been high customs taxes and transport costs from North America and Europe to Uganda which have almost doubled. The two factors combined have had an impact on the selling price of the machines and the ability to remain competitive in the market. Working with government and creating Public-Private Partnerships in the two areas of water and energy can

Forecast

“I'm looking at growth of about 20 to 30% per year on a sales basis. We've been focusing primarily on schools, but we realize we have to expand and focus on business, corporations, NGOs, and again the Ugandan government, the UN, forces and individuals that need access to clean water. In five years, we will definitely have a much bigger team, Hannewald says.

Hannewald has a charity, Grace Impact based in Germany and has managed to facilitate the donation of seven water purification systems in different schools in Uganda and one SOS Village in Tanzania. As a social impact business, growth across the region is the next step.

“Kenya is our first expansion, which needs lots of support in terms of clean water and Ethiopia next.