Proposal to Harness the Wind in Rural Ghana Wins World Bank Competition

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Competing against 2,700 proposals and 183 other finalists from around the world, EnterpriseWorks Worldwide's (EWW) plan to provide small-scale wind power to small businesses in Ghana was announced today as a winner in the annual World Bank Development Marketplace competition. The one-year, $179,000 pilot project titled "Power to the Poor in Ghana" will work to develop a sustainable market for locally built wind-power systems in areas off the national electricity grid.

"In Ghana, thousands of communities still lack access to electricity, to the detriment of health, education, other basic services, and economic development as a whole," said Nancy Bearg, President & CEO of EWW. "The World Bank Development Marketplace seeks to support bold and innovative ideas with potential for replication, and EnterpriseWorks is honored to have the opportunity to bring its business-based poverty fighting approach to this new program area."

EnterpriseWorks will be the primary implementing organization for the project, and has teamed up with two private-sector partners: Rural Energy and Environment Systems (Ghana) and Scoraig Wind Electric (UK). The proposal was developed by EWW and its partners with the understanding that electricity is a requirement for rural development, and that small-scale wind turbines can be affordably and reliably manufactured on a local level. Studies have shown that wind speeds in multiple regions of the country are sufficient for small wind turbines, which can be purchased by small businesses to help them start up or increase their revenues and expand their services in an affordable, and environmentally sustainable way.

The one-year pilot project will involve training local manufacturers to build wind systems and testing them with businesses in several "off-grid" communities. During the project, impacts on the businesses and communities will be monitored, creative financing options will be developed, and a proposal to expand the program to the next phase will be prepared.

The World Bank's annual Development Marketplace competition, founded in 1998, promotes "innovative development ideas" by awarding early-stage seed funding to new projects. This year's theme was "Making services work for the poor," and proposals were judged on innovation, sustainability, and potential for replication elsewhere. More than $5 million was awarded to 47 winning projects.

About EnterpriseWorks Worldwide

EnterpriseWorks Worldwide (formerly Appropriate Technology International) is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable, enterprise-oriented solutions to economic challenges in the developing world. For 25 years, EWW has assisted small-scale producers in more than 60 countries, enabling farmers and other entrepreneurs to boost their productivity, tap broader markets, capture higher value of finished products, and better manage natural resources. Recent projects in post-conflict situations have demonstrated the importance of economic opportunity in building a strong, stable, and peaceful transition to a healthy democracy. For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit http://www.enterpriseworks.org, e-mail info@enterpriseworks.org, or call 202-293-4600.

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