A solar powered mobile digital kiosk that empowers women across Rwanda

Jul 25, 2019

In Rwanda Microsoft is supporting African Renewable Energy Distributor (ARED), a technology for social good company. That provides a one stop shop – mobile digital kiosk – platform offering digital services and connectivity to customers in Rwanda. ARED CEO, Henri Nyakarundi says “our solar kiosk platform revolutionizes the way distribution network is built”.

mobile digital kiosk

A recipient of Microsoft’s affordable Access Initiative grant, ARED recieves support to grow and scale up. Hosting its ecosystem of solutions on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. The company is currently using cloud technology and internet of things to monitor what happens on the ground.

Microsoft’s partnership came in different areas.
We won’t be able to do this business without cloud technology.
Microsoft is helping us also find investors.

Henri Nyakarundi, CEO ARED

ARED recruits and trains women and people with disability to operate these kiosks to generate revenue by earning commissions. These vendors offer services like selling wifi, airtime, electricity prepaid, government services like Irembo and Rwanda Revenue Tax, etc..
The company understands that when low income people start business they don’t have the capital to do business. So they offer the vendors credit to sell these services and payback.

ARED has about 200 solar mobile digital kiosk and plans to have about 300 mobile digital kiosk around Rwanda soon.