'We sleep much better': Why Zayed Sustainability Prize winner lit up remote Africa

Khaleej Times

2 days ago

Spending the first five years of her life in the turmoil of Lebanon's civil war in the early 1980s, Angela Homsi remembers a world without electricity and basic luxuries. That memory shaped her mission to bring clean, sustainable energy to underserved communities, especially in Africa. Now, over four decades later, Homsi is leading Ignite Power, a renewable energy company she co-founded, from a new global headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
'We cannot be more excited by this latest development,' Homsi, winner of the 2024 Zayed Sustainability Prize in the Energy category, told Khaleej Times. 'There's no nation out there in the world more aligned with what we want to do and achieve with our impacts than the UAE.'
Ignite Power provides solar-powered electricity and internet to some of Africa's most remote communities. The company currently operates in 15 countries and is aiming to reach 100 million people over the next five years. 'We're on a very high growth path, and the UAE is really at the centre of 2.5 to 3 billion people. It's a very strategic location for logistics, economic power, and influence.'
Lighting up lives
The impact of Ignite's work is far-reaching. In rural Rwanda, the arrival of solar home systems has transformed daily life for families. 'Now, with the lights, we sleep much better,' said Mukande Qwe, a mother of three in Gisagara.
'We used to sleep with the cows before because it wasn't safe to leave them outside due to the many thefts after dark. Now, thanks to the light, we keep them outside, and everybody has more room to sleep comfortably.'
Beneficiaries across the country echoed similar stories of transformation. Nakabonye Daforosa, a 70-year-old resident of Rulindo, said: 'My granddaughter is able to do her homework after dark and is getting higher grades. The radio helps me stay updated… the solar torch allows me to walk outside after dark.'
Odetta Musabyimana, 58, lives alone in Gisagara. 'I feel much safer with the lights on… I also save 100 francs a month since I don't have to buy petrol anymore. I have time to make mattresses, giving them to neighbours and friends who cannot afford to buy one.'
Other households have seen a boost in agricultural output and income. 'Before we had light, we sold 20kg of beans and 30kg of maize, and now we are selling 40kg of beans and 60kg of maize,' said Tasiana Irikunze, a mother of two from Kabunjwiri village.
'When we didn't have light, we lost crops due to rotting. Now we have more time to process them.' Solar-powered irrigation has also made a difference. 'We used to sell 200kg, and now it is 500kg,' said Mukamparaye Jeanne from Kivomo. 'Before, we used a generator and petrol to fuel it, 5L per day… extremely expensive and not even half as beneficial.'
For Nsabimana Deogen, a farmer and mother in Rulindo, the benefits are personal and financial. 'With proper light, I can cook clean food, and my family's health has gotten much better for it. The light has given my children time to study and do their homework, their grades are rising, and they have much higher motivation to succeed.'
Homsi, now 44, was born in Lebanon in 1980 and moved to Cairo at age five. She later lived in Europe and pursued a career in investment, working with Goldman Sachs and Generation Investment Management, the sustainability fund chaired by former US Vice President Al Gore. 'I always wanted to make an impact on the wider continent,' she said. 'To do something that will change the direction of Africa and the Middle East.'
Ignite began not as a company, but as a white paper. 'Most countries in Africa only had around 20 per cent of their population with access to electricity,' Homsi explained. 'Eighty percent were using kerosene lamps, damaging to health, education, and economic development.' The first project was launched in Rwanda after Homsi and her team presented a vision to the country's president.
'We supported writing a proper socio-economic feasibility study on how Rwanda could become the first fully connected country in Africa.'
Growth through Abu Dhabi
Since receiving the Zayed Sustainability Prize, Homsi said Ignite has grown eightfold. 'That's huge. Above and beyond our own expectation,' she said. The award helped raise visibility and credibility. 'We've always had our head on the ground, making sure every single dollar goes to the deepest possible impact."
"The prize helped us tell our story.' One of the company's most promising initiatives is the solar-plus-internet deployment in schools. 'We deployed the first 30 schools right after the prize,' she said. 'That pilot is now shaping the way for the next 10,000 schools in multiple countries.'
Homsi believes Abu Dhabi offers the infrastructure and values to support the firm's ambitious growth. 'We've already incorporated in the UAE, finalised office spaces, and started hiring. The office will host our senior management, R&D, business development, procurement, and public affairs roles — functions that cover multi-country operations.' She also plans to deepen ties with UAE universities. 'I dedicate a large amount of my time to education, advocacy, teaching… we need more youth to be inspired, to take over the flame, and carry on the mission.'
For Homsi, impact and scale go hand in hand. 'You cannot scale the amount of people you will impact… if you cannot scale your business. It has to be a strong business that attracts top talent and achieves deep, lasting change,' she concluded.