From Toronto to Tanzania, a social enterprise that helps bring affordable and safe energy and light to African homes.
From Toronto to Tanzania, Adam Camenzuli (iBBA ’10) has explored business opportunities far from home as the Executive Director and Founder of KARIBU Solar Power, a social enterprise that helps bring affordable and safe energy and light to African homes. One of 32 delegates that represented Canada at the G20’s Young Entrepreneurs Alliance (YEA) Summit in Beijing in September, Adam has been profiled in Forbes Africa, The Globe and Mail, and CNN.
KARIBU Solar Power provides a safer alternative to dangerous kerosene products often used to light African homes and seeks to contribute to social change, economic renewal, and job creation. The KARIBU “hockey puck” solar lamp, contains a rechargeable battery, mobile phone charger and a light, and are sold to small-scale entrepreneurs. KARIBU describes the solar lamp on its website as “an income-producing asset for an entrepreneur (just like a chicken or goat) but it is also an affordable way to buy light (and mobile phone charging) for an end-consumer”.
At the G20, Adam was focused on raising awareness of KARIBU, and encouraging global policymakers to further equip young entrepreneurs to bring ideas to market. He hopes the high-profile event helped further develop his national and international networks so that KARIBU Solar Power can expand into other African countries where electricity is scarce.
“By being featured as a sustainability champion, I hope to bring more support to our cause of bringing affordable energy to the world,” says Camenzuli.