FEATURE
Meet the 2018 finalists
SunRice
University College London
Empower
Energy
University of Oxford
SunRice is a rice drying service that aims to reduce rice
wastage and empower rice farmers in Southeast Asia. They
bridge the gap between off-the-shelf rice drying technology
and rice farmers that could not afford it, thus making the drying
technology more accessible for poor farmers. Rice farmers are
currently stuck in a poverty cycle, they lose rice due to traditional
drying practices and this leads to food insecurity. SunRice makes
modern drying technology accessible to these rice farmers.
They will identify trustworthy and influential partner farmers
through their partner, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),
build a dryer on their land and pay them a percentage service
fee based on the quantity of rice dried. They are currently
piloting in Letpadan in Myanmar and are in the process of setting
up their first dryer for the upcoming harvest season.
Team members:
Lincoln Lee, Julia Vannaxay, Vannie Koay, and Kisum Chan
Empower Energy provides access to clean energy through
their ‘Solar ATMs’ to some of India’s most remote communities.
These solar charging stations are run by local entrepreneurs,
such as trusted village shopkeepers, and allow their customers
to access reliable energy sources without any upfront costs.
By renting LED lamps and battery packs from their local shop,
users save time and money and do not have to worry about
maintenance. As part of their pilot, the company have two ATMs
operating in Orissa, with 100 paying customers utilizing their
service. Empower Energy’s franchisees become symbols of trust
and reliability in each village. By meeting the energy needs of
the most underserved through their ATMs, Empower Energy
develops valuable customer relationships. These relationships
then enable the company to serve the additional energy needs
and desires of their customers, which they fulfill through their
network of ATMs. They are empowering millions to join the
modern economy.
Team members:
Ronit Kanwar, Gideon Laux, and James Dickson
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