A pilot study of a combined energy and water hub in Gambia

Many people across the developing world live ‘off-grid’ in terms of access to mains electricity, and therefore depend on alternative power sources to recharge their mobile phones. These recharging facilities are typically located in shops or informal businesses, and are often powered by a diesel generator or solar panel. Many of these rural communities are also served by local water infrastructure that has fallen into a state of disrepair. It has been reported that many individuals are prepared to pay a small regular fee to recharge their mobile phone, while their wider communities may often claim to lack sufficient funds to keep their water infrastructure maintained. This article introduces a pilot study in The Gambia that combines an off-grid recharging hub with a community water point. It is proposed that a proportion of the income generated by this enterprise could be retained and used to fund the ongoing maintenance costs of the recharging hub and the local water infrastructure.