Since 2013, EnDev is active in promoting a market for solar lamps in Liberia. Collaborating with the government agency RREA, EnDev works towards empowering retailers (who have the capital to buy a substantial quantity of lamps) and sales agents (who have almost no capital and get lamps from retailers). EnDev also works to improve marketing and sales strategies, and share knowledge, skills and expertise to enhance solar retailing and repairing.

EnDev’s three strategic objectives are to empower more people to successfully sell solar lamps, improve marketing and sales strategies to increase access to solar lamps, and build knowledge, skills and synergies to improve solar lamp sales and repairs. To achieve these objectives, EnDev implements various activities.

1)    Collaborate with NGOs to increase awareness, empower salespeople and find best practices

EnDev invites local NGOs to suggest target groups and strategies for their area(s) of operation to promote awareness about solar and/or empower people to become solar lamp sales agents. Those who apply with a convincing strategy will receive the starting capital in some solar lamps (maximum of 10 lamps per suggested sales agent) as a donation.

NGOs are expected to monitor and support the sales agents, report on their marketing and sales strategies as well as sales numbers. Also, they will connect with an RREA retailer of their choice (or become an RREA retailer themselves) to ensure continuous supply and repairs.

Read more about the different approaches of various local NGOs:

• Yocel: Youth borrowing solar lamps from school
• Human Development Foundation supports businesses to sell solar
• Society for Environment Conservation empower solar salespeople

2)    Strengthen retailers and sales agents in marketing

EnDev in collaboration with RREA, solar lamp retailers and NGOs strengthens businesses, develops marketing strategies and helps with promotional activities. An essential aspect of this is the EnDev solar promotion car that uses solar energy to produce popcorn, play music and show the mobile solar cinema.

EnDev participates in road shows for solar products and energy fairs and supports with marketing material, a radio talk show and other practical aspects.

 3) Training, Information and Knowledge sharing

EnDev Liberia offers workshops for maintenance and repair of solar lamps to technicians and retailers. During the training, retailers find out how solar lamps work, how to repair them, what spare parts to keep in stock and how their customers can best operate the lamps to extend the products’ lifespan.

EnDev focuses on gathering, generating, sharing and distributing information and knowledge, connecting products or service providers with customers, enhancing quality and facilitating market development. The renewables-liberia.info website is a platform mandated to share this information. 

Project summary