Ubuntu header
Ubuntu

Humanity towards others, the belief in a universal
bond of sharing that connects us all

An equal opportunity to all

Africa is prosperous but like in many countries we have underserved communities whom we aim to empower with clean water and energy facilities. We’ve been around, we worked in many African countries and have full knowledge of the hardship some of our fellow Africans endure daily. Ubuntu is Grüner’s part of sharing and caring of our communities that are not as fortunate as we are.

Establishing a economic mini-hub towards communal empowerment and wellbeing.

At Grüner we are targeting our support towards Electrification and Clean Drinkable Water to Rural Schools and Primary Health Care Clinics. We believe that these quasi-community center’s form the heart of a community. A communal center point from where not only educational empowerment, but also to community benefit with energy and water infrastructure investment. It can form the foundation, the enabler required to community economic growth and wellbeing with 24/7 electrical supply and freshwater infrastructure, never before available to them.

Why rural schools

In rural communities the local school is the heartbeat of the community, almost all communal activity happens there.

It’s a communal center, a rally point for meetings, services, polling and many other activities binding the community.

With access to electrical and water infrastructure – this can be the enabler for communal economic empowerment and self-upliftment. Scaling up this infrastructure in time, with electrical and water transmission to all households and business that will benefit from it.

Equal access to primary and maternal healthcare to all with 24/7 power availability.

Underserved rural communities tend to have more health problems and higher level of diseases due to lack of healthcare clean water and sanitation.

Healthcare facilities mostly work in daytime only, these facilities make used of noise polluting diesel generation; a costly fuel that needs to be transported over long distances.

Employing solar energy mini-grid with backup battery storage and access to clean water can be life changing

Access to drinking water – Fast Facts

  • 312 Million people in Sub-Sahara Afrika do not have access to clean and safe water.
  • 159 Million people drink water directly from surface sources, such as streams or lakes.
  • Half of the world’s hospital beds are filled with people suffering from a water-related disease.
  • Woman and children spend average of 40 minutes a day to collect water from rivers or streams.
  • The average container for water collection in Africa weighs over 40 lbs / 18 kg when full with some woman carrying up to 70 lbs / 32 kg.
  • Girls turning into puberty are absent from school more often as to no water sanitation facilities.
  • Access to sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa is declining with only 31% of people able to access a toilet – 6% less than reported in 2006.
  • Handwashing with soap at critical times can reduce the incidence of diarrhoea by up to 47%.
  • Childhood malnutrition causes about 35% of all deaths of children under the age of five worldwide, it is estimated that 50% of childhood malnutrition is associated with repeated diarrhoea or intestinal infections as a result of unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, or insufficient hygiene.
  • Around 842,000 people (361,000 children) die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation, over 2,000 people a day.
  • Lack of safe water and sanitation costs Sub-Saharan Africa around 5% of its gross domestic product each year.

Access to electricity – FAST Facts

Over 640 million Africans have no access to energy, corresponding to an electricity access rate for African countries at just over 40 percent, the lowest in the world.

Per capita consumption of energy in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) is 180 kWh, compared to 13,000 kWh per capita in the United States and 6,500 kWh in Europe.

We invite relevant government agencies, Ngo’s, aid-agencies and alike to get in contact with us in support of your requirement and our objective.