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Our History
Solar Ku Midzi is a tightly linked collaboration of sister organizations with a vision for sustainable energy and community empowerment. Our family of organizations includes the Malawi businesses Kachione LLC and Rachel & Christina LLC, Solar4Africa (American volunteers and donors under Dr. Robert Van Buskirk's leadership), Omprakash (solar4africa's 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor), Yorghas Foundation (Polish NGO) and the newly certified local Malawi NGO Affordable Solar for Villagers (AS4V).
Our journey began with a commitment to providing reliable and affordable solar technology to rural communities in Malawi. We build and distribute essential solar products — solar lights, batteries, pumps, and cookers — through a network of solar shops established by local women entrepreneurs. Our solar shops serve not only as a sustainable distribution system for our products, but also empower the women who run these shops, fostering economic growth for each village.
Robert Van Buskirk and Laurence Kachione began their collaboration in 2016. Kachione staff members Rachel Kanyerere and Christina Molesi began organizing womens' groups to share solar irrigation pumps in 2021. This evolved into a network of 18 women-led village solar shops organized and supplied by Rachel & Christina LLC. In 2024 the local Malawi NGO Affordable Solar for Villagers was established to gain import tax benefits for our products sold at subsidized prices to rural low income Malawians, and to create an administrative structure guided by a board of directors to serve its members: the network of villages and village solar shops.
See more photos of the Kachione Blantyre workshop by clicking here !
Meet the Teams of the
Solar Ku Midzi
Sister Organizations
Solar Ku Midzi is a tightly-linked collaboration of sister organizations: Kachione LLC, Solar4Africa American volunteers, the Affordable Solar for Villagers (AS4V) Malawi NGO, other NGO Partners (Yorghas Foundation and Wandikweza), funders (notably MECS of Loughborough University/UK AID), village interview teams, and last but really foremost, the network of women-led village solar shops (currently 18 shops across Malawi), and the women staff, solar pump-sharing user groups, solar cooking collectives, installation/repair technicians and individual customers associated with each shop. Our teams are composed of hardworking, talented individuals. We are united by our commitment to improving the lives of rural Malawians through solar power.
Left to Right: Jane Spencer (UK MECS), John Wolfe (AS4V Board Member), Racheal Kanyerere (Kachione Shops & Distribution Manager; Partner, Rachel & Christina LLC), Maurice Ayilu (Racheal's husband), Laurence Kachione (Founder & CEO, Kachione LLC), Robert Van Buskirk (Founder, Solar4Africa.org), Christina Molesi (Kachione Shops & Distribution Co-Manager; Partner, Rachel & Christina LLC), Emily Chu (Stanford University summer intern), Laura Benedict (AS4V Board Member), Victoria Baloyi (Kachione Office Manager), Eggrey Gonera (Kachione Technician), Judith Julius (Kachione lunch cook), James Majoni (Kachione Senior Technician), Gift Kawanga (Kachione Technician), Gilbert Robert (Kachione Workshop Manager).
Kachione LLC
Robert Van Buskirk and Laurence Kachione began their collaboration in 2016. Early on Laurence established Kachione LLC to implement their joint vision of designing, importing, assembling and delivering low cost durable solar products to Malawi villagers. Below is the Kachione LLC team, in order of earliest to most recent hire.
Affordable Solar for Villagers (AS4V) - Malawi NGO
The Affordable Solar for Villagers NGO Board of Directors
Left to right:
Laura Benedict, Governance Committee
Laurence Kachione, Executive Director and Board Secretary
John Wolfe, Finance Committee
Loveness Mphande, Finance Committee
Evelyn Masasa, Governance Committee
Moses Davide Busher, Chairman
Not shown: Precious Phiri, Finance Committee
Women's Village Solar Shops
There are currently 18 Solar Ku Midzi solar shops, run by local village women,
located across Malawi. The network of shops is strengthening and growing.
Mbangombe Women's Solar Shop,
Lilongwe District.
Lundu Women's Solar Shop,
Blantyre District.