Watts Up Magazine wattsup magazine online | Page 13

By Staff Writer
asmin Abdulkadir, the winner of Judges’
Award, is a woman wearing many
hats. She is a lawyer, an activist and a
mentor, all rolled into one. When she’s not
pursuing justice at the corridors of the High
Court of Kenya where she was admitted as
an advocate, she is flexing the extensive
experience she gained working with several
NGOs and government agencies at a senior
management position.
Y
Currently serving as the county executive
committee member in charge of Energy,
Mining, Lands, Housing and Urban
Development at Marsabit County Ms
Abdulkadir knows no horizons. She has taken
an initiative to mentor and support girls and
also advocate for women’s lands rights in the
northern region.
Yasmin has interests in the success of matters
renewable energy. In 2016, she was nominated
for the ‘She Shapes Solar Campaign’ as well as
Business Daily’s ‘Top 40 under 40 women’.
One highlight of her career was partnering
with a German development agency,
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and developing the
Marsabit Energy Sector Plan 2015-2025. The
plan is a key step in mapping the available
WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
energy resources as well as strategising
on providing clean and sustainable energy
to power and empower industry and
residence in the county. It also enabled
the Marsabit County to identify the wind
corridor.
We need to join in
the fight against
environmental
degradation right
from the household.
-Yasmin Abulkadir
Mini-grids
She also played a part in promoting the
development of new medium-sized hybrid
mini-grids in rural areas. The hybrid
system involves the use of a Photovoltaics,
wind and diesel to generate electricity
(PV-/Wind-Diesel).These mini-grids will
contribute to cost-effective, reliable and
sustainable power supply in rural areas.
Therefore, it will foster efficient and
sustainable use of power which in turn
stimulate and spur local economic growth
of the affected towns.
Yasmin also plans to be part of a
sensitisation project among the local
communities. The project will provide
information on modern energy-saving
jikos, biogas technology and Solar PV. She
emphasises that the communities need to
be educated about biogas and Solar PV,
how they work and the benefits of using
the technology.
“We need Marsabit County to join the fight
against environmental degradation right
from the household level,” she says.
Commercial electricity
Yasmin says her vision is to increase
women’s educational opportunities and
professional development in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM)
Marsabit County contains a large share of
the nation’s renewable energy resources.
The county has the highest potential for
wind having registered speeds of up to
9.27 m/s in addition to solar, biomass and
biogas which makes it a very attractive
location for development of Renewable
Energy infrastructure.
Participation
The single largest private investment in
Kenya’s history is a KShs.76Billion project,
a 300 MW wind farm in Marsabit County.
Yasmin’s future plan is to integrate gender
roles while making policies and crafting
renewable energy programmes. This
will ensure both women and youth can
equally contribute to the development of
renewable energy projects.
Yasmin receives her award
“Taking women’s needs into account in
energy interventions and strengthening
their leadership and participation
in sustainable energy is a great step
towards reaching internationally agreed
development goals,” says Yasmin. “We plan
to support women groups with business,
technology and mentorship training and
also support them to access finances and
market opportunities.”
She says that the first Women in Energy
forum was a valuable source of information
and helped empower and connect the
generations of women leaders in STEM
WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
13