May 3, 2009

Changemaker: Manna Energy Foundation

Manna Energy, one of the finalists in our Changemakers Competition, has started to ramp up their project implementation. 

We recently had the opportunity to visit the L’Esperance Orphanage in western Rwanda where the Manna Energy Foundation has installed infrastructure for safe drinking water. Before Manna installed their filter system, children were carrying 40 pound jerry-cans up a steep 11-story mountain every day, several times a day.

Manna’s innovation comes from their ability to generate carbon credits through their installations and sell those credits into the EU market to pay for the program—effectively making the water free for the children.  Manna installs rain water harvesting on each of the buildings at the orphanage and a system to filter the water and treat it with a solar-powered UV light. The filtration system replaces water boiling using fuelwood, eliminating greenhouse gas emissions. 

Manna has been certified by UNDP to generate and sell carbon credits, a critical accomplishment. They hope to reach all 500 secondary schools in Rwanda, serving about 250,000 children or 3 percent of the entire population.