Electrical power distribution in Kenya is controlled by a single parastatal organisation, Kenya Power and Lighting Company. Its inefficiencies are notorious, with some people waiting 14 years after applying to be connected to the grid. Only 15% of the population have access to power and the government essentially has a monopoly over production and distribution.

On a visit to the region earlier this year, Harrison Leaf and Joshua Orphanidys experienced firsthand the difficulties the lack of electricity presents to locals. Whilst working on a remote permaculture site they started thinking about whether or not it would be possible to build their own generator. Some encouragement from their trainer, Tichafa Makovere, a bike part and few bottle caps later and they had built their first prototype.

Three weeks after that they managed to increase the amount of power their turbines produced. And three months later (their stay expanded significantly) the team had reduced the costs of production down to approximately $100 – ten times cheaper than anything else on the market. Most importantly the generators can be built entirely from locally available materials and local assembly techniques (using hand tools with the exception of one part which requires a small amount of ARC welding, something that Kenyans are well versed in).

Access: WIND are now on a mission to transfer this knowledge to local people. Harrison claims that all that is needed is 1 or 2 days training for locals to be ready to find and build everything they need to assemble their own windmill. And the benefits are clear. Each generator produces 100W of continuous power in fair wind. To put this into context, one Access: windmill is currently providing continuous power (for lighting, mobile phone charging, radio and refrigeration). to an eight person community in Pumwani slum in Nairobi. This particular community runs a grassroots youth project (http://www.longcesttoi.org/) out of their wonderful treehouse. The new provision of lighting and other small appliances will help them to expand their work long into the night.

Access Wind are just at the start of their journey, but it is clear that the concept is likely to do more than just fly. We say – bring on the global devolution of power. Good luck to Access Wind.