Winners of the ARE Photo Contest Revealed
28 February 2022 – The winners of the ARE Photo Contest: Sustainable Decentralised Electricity to Power a Green and Equitable Recovery were announced today. Supported by GET.invest*, ARE launched the photo contest under the DRE Recovery Campaign. The contest aims to raise awareness and promote the critical importance of decentralised renewable energy (DRE) to advance the COVID-19 green recovery agenda. In total, 54 organisations submitted over 150 photographs for consideration in the photo contest.
ARE welcomed photos taken in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean and the Asia Pacific that depict images according to the following categories:
- Social development: DRE solutions enabling essential services for rural communities (e.g. health, education, water, etc.)
- Economic development: DRE solutions enabling productive uses and jobs in rural communities
- Innovation: Innovative DRE technology solutions installed in rural, isolated communities
- Community impact: Rural community beneficiaries interacting with and benefitting from DRE technologies
- Building local resources: Capacity building on DRE technologies amongst local actors (e.g. local staff or beneficiaries)
Disclaimer: The use of any of the photographs on this page without the written permission of the owner is strictly prohibited.
*GET.invest is a programme supported by the European Union, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria, that promotes investments in renewable energy.
Here are the top 10 photos of the contest:
1. A Look Under the Light
Overall winner
Captured by Baobab+ in Senegal, the photo shows a woman giving a bath to her child in the light provided by a solar lamp. Congratulations to Baobab+ for winning first place with this outstanding shot!
2. Africa GreenTec Solartainer installation in Dalakana
Overall runner up
This great photo was taken by Patrick Reimers for ARE Member Africa GreenTec. It depicts Africa GreenTec Technicians in Dalakana, Mali installing the Solartainer, a mobile containerised off-grid solution that supplies electricity in rural areas in Africa decentrally and at a low cost.
3. Rural Rwandan Farmers Use Energy From the Sun to Irrigate Their Crops
Innovation category winner
In 2018, Futurepump Rwanda worked with the Rwandan Government to focus on the introduction of solar-powered irrigation to smallholder farmers. Solar pumps end reliance on fossil fuels for irrigation and return harvest profits back into the pockets of local communities.
4. Training Women to Diversify the Solar Workforce
Building local resources category
The woman featured in this picture snapped in Masaya, Nicaragua in 2021, was hired by the local solar industry upon completing GRID Alternatives' 200-hour solar installation training programme.
5. Fishermen Use Solar Fishing Lights on Lake Victoria
Economic development category winner
Taken in Mwanza, Tanzania on March 2021 by ARE Member SNV – Energising Development (EnDev), this photo showcases the impact of DRE in local economic development and job creation.
6. upOwa agents prospecting in rural central Cameroon
Community impact category
upOwa addresses the energy access challenge and seeks to provide reliable and cost-effective electricity to Cameroonians through the provision of solar home systems (SHS). The picture was taken in June 2020 and shows upOwa agents Steve Kouekem and Merveille Ndi speaking to a prospect in the village of Nkondougou 1 in central Cameroon. Photo credit: John Yombo, upOwa SAS
7. Healthier and Happier Sustainable Future in Kenya
Social development category winner
SureChill’s refrigeration technology enables essential services for rural communities (e.g. health, education, wellbeing). Increasing access to sustainable DRE refrigeration and cold storage is critical to reducing post-harvest loss and improving food security.
8. Global village indeed!
Community impact category
Sent by E3 Capital, this photo depicts a member of the rural community benefitting from the internet service solution provided by Mawingu. It is beyond commendable to see how Mawingu’s solar-powered internet has supported rural areas, helping the unconnected get connected. Photo credits: Opmeer Reports, FMO, Mawingu.
9. Heart of the Community
Social development category
The photo, taken by Dr. Hamed Beheshti, is portraying one of ARE Member WaterKiosk’s installation in South-Coast of Kenya, Kwale county. The village is called Miamba, and a solar water desalination system is installed at the heart of the village. The machine produces 1000 litres of water per hour from a badly contaminated saline borehole.
10. New Sun Road's Stellar IS powering SIS Digital Community Centres
Social development category
This photo, taken by Keny Och in San Antonio I, Cobán, Guatemala on 18 September 2021, shows the Alta Verapaz project that provides power and connectivity in the Guatemalan Highlands with the support of Microsoft and USAID. Leading the project, ARE Member New Sun Road installs solar-powered microgrids, 3 to 5 kW each, to provide enough electricity and internet to reliably power rural digital community centers in Guatemala.
| Learn more about the DRE Recovery Campaign |