TecAp solves a financial problem so the poor have access to valuable, life-changing technologies
TecAp works to identify solar and other appropriate technologies and to make those technologies available and affordable for the people that need them most. Some of the technologies that TecAp is looking into include solar energy, smokeless stoves (“improved cook stoves”), drip or low pressure irrigation, and rainwater catchment.
To help make these technologies affordable for the families who need them most, TecAp helps arrange longer-term loans. A low-income farming family may not have $1000 to pay for a solar system in cash, but they may be able and eager to make three smaller annual payments, especially if those payments can coincide with the time of year that they have the most disposable income–during the coffee harvest.
Sometimes the financing has already become available and it is the cooperatives or local governments that need assistance with assessing their members’/constituents’ needs for solar (determining what size system is most appropriate for each home) or with gathering estimates or doing more in-depth studies to determine the type of solar or hydro-powered system needed for a larger project. In these cases, TecAp helps put together needs assessments, arranges for estimates and studies, and acts as an advocate to the solar companies on behalf of the local government or cooperative to ensure that contract terms are fair, that installations are high-quality, and that proper follow-up and maintenance are provided.
Hear firsthand from the families who have gained access to these technologies because of TecAp’s work to arrange longer-term loans and advocate on their behalf.