Investment

I hope to bring energy to every village.

Simple solar panels mean hospitals can heal and people can flourish. When you think about the scale of human suffering, you'd probably believe that it's impossible to change millions of lives. But apparently, it's not. "People are suffering and there's no reason for it. With a drilling machine and a few solar panels, we can change everything, we can change their destinies" says Sivan Ya'ari, Founder and CEO of Innovation: Africa, a non-profit that brings Israeli solar, agricultural and water tech to rural African villages

Big Problems; Simple Solutions. "Growing up, we didn't have clean water anywhere. All we had were open sources which were quite dirty, (so) we suffered from many diseases… like stomach aches and eye infections. I felt as if my childhood was spent in hospitals seeking treatment for things that were out of my control." says Hadidja Blama. The fact that Blama had access to a hospital in her small village in Cameroon, was a luxury. Ya'ari speaks of the moment she was inspired to start her company, which was while she was visiting a rural clinic and offered to help. A nurse replied "you can't help me, because I can't help them. We have no fridges for medication." It was clear that energy and water, two gifts of nature, were the causes of the problem - and the solutions.

Digging (not so) Deep. Innovation: Africa have one goal – to provide water and electricity to 10 million people across 800 villages. While it sounds complex, it's actually simple. A drilling machine pumps the clean water that's below their feet and the Israeli solar panels they install, give schools, villages and clinics light and refrigeration. "It's incredible how much you can do with not much, how you can build an infrastructure that lasts… During the famine in Uganda… the elders had been put aside to die, the children who were still alive were eating leaves... It took us nothing, we found water 40m deep" adds Ya'ari.

Everything's Changing "Everything changes once you're liberated from searching for water and drinking dirty water" adds Ya'ari. "Children are going to school, they don't have to search for water… people are healthier… in every village that we have installed water, people have started businesses. They can grow food year round, they have better nutrition, they sell at the market and generate money… There is water and soil, so they make bricks - no more mud homes… They take care of their cows who produce more milk… Solar energy opens barber shops and more... Clinics can run and lives can be saved" Ya'ari goes on to explain that in collaboration with the Israeli government, locals are trained to build and manage the new tech – putting control in their hands.

A Better Tomorrow Abdoulaye Hourerata, from Garga Sarali, Cameroon says "Today, I use the clean water from the taps to cook for my family, we all drink it together, bath regularly, do laundry and other house chores. Together. As one family living in safe conditions, healthy and more importantly happy. Years ago, I would imagine what it would be like to carry water in front of my home without having to trek 2km to fetch (it). It's as if our dream came true… We see hope for a better tomorrow."

"Water is available, the technology exists… And it doesn't take much money" concludes Ya'ari. "Our generation can do it… My hope is that others see the benefit of helping others and using energy to make a change not just in Africa, but around the world"

For more information on how we work with developing markets, please contact Emergingmarkets@economy.gov.il

Agriculture

I hope to solve hunger in our lifetime

Drip irrigation means farmers need not rely on the rains for survival. When someone says, with conviction, "hunger shouldn't be a destiny… we have the means to solve it today" you listen. And if you do, you'll hear that millions of people across Africa, and around the world, could be guaranteed food security thanks to Drip Irrigation technology, according to Elad Levi of Netafim, Israel's Drip Tech pioneers, who've been working in this field for over 50 years, and in Africa for half that.

Everything's changed. Whether it's increased food and water bills, unexpected weather patterns, or acres of lost crops - the effects of climate change are felt by all. "When I was a little girl, I'd wake up in the morning and it was so cold I'd go to school with an extra jacket" says Ghanaian farmer, Vida Ofari, "but the weather changed. The rains don't come, which makes it so, so hot and dry… and when they do, it floods."

Farmers have always had to rely on the rains for their success, but irregular rainfall means that their yield, and their profits, and frighteningly scarce. "Most farmers can't harvest 50% of the crops they plant. They are devastated when they lose their crops, they have to take out loans to survive. It's a vicious cycle" explains Vida. "We're lucky in Ghana that the government cares for its people, because if they didn't, many children wouldn't be able to go to school." Unfortunately, not many countries have the same support systems in place.

Success is in the science. This doesn't mean that there isn't room for success. Millions of acres of arable land can be easily farmed, but only 20% of it is irrigated, and in most cases, irrigated inefficiently. That's where Israeli Drip Technology comes in. "In the good years, it heightens success; in the bad years, it's your insurance policy" explains Elad.

A new way forward. Instead of flood irrigation and blanket spray fertilization, pipes lead water and nutrients directly to the root of the plants. The amounts can be controlled to the millimeter and adjusted when necessary, saving water, resources and time. "A flick of a switch and it's done" explains Vida. The yield can be up to 90% of the original crop and you can harvest two to three times more in a year as the crops grow faster thanks to consistently good conditions. Numbers like these can significantly change lives in just one season.

"Agriculture has always been the backbone of Ghana" says Vida, even though difficult times have pushed many away, "I hope that more people begin farming again, and I hope for all farmers to be happier." But the change will not just be felt locally, adds Elad, "If Drip Tech can reach a quarter of African arable land, the continent will be changed forever and food will be guaranteed.'

For more information on how we work with developing markets, please contact Emergingmarkets@economy.gov.il

Agriculture

I hope to empower African farmers to succeed globally

Digital records allow farmers to access loans that can change their lives. Farmers, big and small, help sustain life as we know it. However, as the world develops technologically, they've been left behind. "70% of the earth is used for agriculture and it's the source of almost all the food we eat… Our economies and lives depend on it." says Shalom Ben-Or, Co-Founder & CEO of Israel-based agricultural trading platform, Avenews-GT. "But all trade happens with (inefficient) pen and paper records". Initially conceptualized to digitize and simplify agricultural trade and connect farmers to their buyers, little did they know that their impact would be so much greater.

One Solution became Two. Research into the global Agri-Industry unveiled a little-known secret. "…The financial gap in agriculture, which no one knows about, is 440 billion dollars. It means that Agri-Businesses worldwide need funding… but they can't get because the banks have no sufficient data about their performance…" adds Ishai Ben-Or, Co-Founder & CIPO, Avenews-GT. "Our trade solution changes the way that banks and other service providers (like insurers) will be able to view the Agri-Businesses who operate on our platform." So, while the platform connects buyers to suppliers, it also gives small-scale farmers access to financial institutions for the first time.

Partnering for Success. To launch in Africa, partners in the banking and agricultural sectors connect the dots.

Florence Mathingau, founder of Kenyan organization, AgriBusiness Solutions Ltd., mobilizes subsistence farmers and connects them to a structured market. After training her farmers to use the platform to record crop data and transactions, she's seen incredible results. "Having (digital) records allows our farmers to access loans and then increase their acre range. This increases their income and changes their livelihood… They are able to move from mud houses to iron houses, send their children to better schools… and in nomadic tribes where there was internal fighting, (there has been) conflict resolution."

"Agriculture is such a large part of economy in many countries" adds Vimal Kumar, Chief executive RBB Africa Regional Operations at Absa group, a local partner whose goal is to create sustainable solutions that bring possibility to life. "But there isn't a framework available in most of our markets where it's treated as part of the industry. Finance is difficult, logistics is difficult, economic data is difficult for farmers to get hold of… They were bringing buyers and sellers together and creating that market space for free trade, and then financial institutions (like Barclays Bank Africa) can become the backbone (that holds it all together)."

From Agriculture to Agri-Business. Mathingau explains that these newly opened doors have also changed perceptions across farming communities. "I hope that we can turn all subsistence farmers, into commercial ones… The shift has allowed us to regenerate many of the arid areas in our communities." But this shift has been deeper than just the physical. "70% of manual labor on farms is women. Avenews-GT helps us keep the data for these women. (Combined with) capacity building and gender mainstreaming, (this) has allowed us to ‘harmonize' families… and given women the control they need".

Bringing Agriculture into the Future "Entrepreneurship is a global language" says Ismail Kharoub Co-Founder & CTO, Avenews-GT, "I hope to empower different entities in the agricultural supply chain, to bring high quality products to the world."

For more information on how we work with developing markets, please contact Emergingmarkets@economy.gov.il

Sustainability

I hope that we can save lives.

Transforming waste into energy in the hope of saving millions of lives. Mothers are dying every day. Not because of war, domestic violence, or famine. They're dying because they want to feed their families, their children.

The Pollution Problem. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1,5 million people, almost 1 million of which are mothers, lose their life as a result of indoor air pollution annually. This is because over half of the world's population rely on burning coal, wood, dung and crop remnants to warm their homes and cook their food. The smoke and fumes that are released can have fatal consequences.

Transformation Comes Easy. But as technology develops, things are changing. Clean energy solutions are transforming lives around the world. One such life is Michael Matega, who lives in a small village in Kenya, Africa – who is using innovative, Israeli technology to turn organic waste into cooking gas.

"My mother was born in 1917 - we think - so she is over 100 years old" laughs Michael, "She says she has seen nothing like it… and she loves it". Michael, and his family, are the first to use clean energy in their community, joining thousands of families around the world who have already made the transition.

Clean Energy; Clean World; Clean Future. "There is no rubbish from our kitchen. We don't throw away any scraps. Even our chicken's droppings go into our HomeBioGas system to ‘feed' the bacteria. In one day, the bacteria give off enough gas for us to cook for three hours. Our Ugali, special Kenyan maize and beans, is just as delicious as when we cooked the old way" continues Michael. "…But we are all healthier because we are not burning wood or paraffin, which made us feel sick… Everyone must understand that there is a better way of doing things, so we can have clean air, stop cutting down trees, be healthier and create a better world."

Towards A Better Life. The benefits of using clean energy aren't just health related. Since Michael is no longer buying paraffin or wasting valuable time searching for wood, he has more money and time to spend on and with his family. With his savings he made upgrades to his home to make it more secure and comfortable for his mother, something he's never been able to do before. For other families, there's more money to put towards education, food, medication and other necessities, which are seen as luxuries for far too many people in Africa, and around the world.

A Future of Hope. "I hope that we can save lives" says Michael, who invites members of his community to see and use his clean energy system, to inspire them to do the same. Yair Teller, founder of HomeBioGas, insists that indoor air pollution doesn't have to be fatal. With just a few tools and a little bit of education, the results are immediate. He hopes that his company gets more competitors - because working together, collaboratively, and with determination, is how millions of precious lives can be saved, so that every woman can live as long, prosperous and as healthy a life as Michael Matega's mother.

For more information on how we work with developing markets, please contact Emergingmarkets@economy.gov.il