A bright example: Artificial intelligence provides electric light in Nancy Amito’s restaurant

Nancy Amito is the owner of a small restaurant in a predominantly refugee village in the northern district of Lamwo, north of Uganda. Around 90 per cent of the population in this region has no access to electricity. An initiative by the Ugandan Ministry of Energy aims to change this. In collaboration with the BMZ initiative FAIR Forward and the AI company Sunbird AI, an artificial intelligence-based tool that uses satellite images to create location recommendations for renewable energy sources has been developed.

With the help of this digital tool, authorities can now better plan the energy supply in rural areas and create more locations for renewable energy. Nancy’s village, for example, was one of 25 villages in Lamwo to install a network of small solar-powered systems. For Nancy, the reliable lighting in her restaurant means that she can extend her opening hours and cater for more guests. This has doubled her daily income.