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Meet the Teams of the
Solar Ku Midzi
Sister Organizations
Solar Ku Midzi is a tightly-linked collaboration of sister organizations (org chart here): Affordable Solar for Villagers (AS4V, a Malawi NGO), Africa Sun Power (AFSP, a Malawi shares corporation), Solar4Africa American volunteers, Omprakash, and other NGO partners and funders (notably MECS of Loughborough University/UK AID, and the Joyce Banda Foundation of Malawi), village interview teams, and last but really foremost, the network of women-led village solar shops (currently 12 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.
Historic Photo, the SolarKuMidzi Team in 2024
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).
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Affordable Solar for Villagers (AS4V) - Malawi NGO
The Affordable Solar for Villagers NGO Board of Directors
Left to right:
Montfort Kalulu, Executive Director
Laura Benedict, Administrative Committee
Vitumbiko Ngwira, Finance Committee
Evelyn Masasa, Administrative Committee
Patrick Chiguwo, Administrative Committee
Loveness Mphande, Chairwoman
John Wolfe, Finance Committee
The mission of Affordable Solar for Villagers
is to provide solar products that are lower cost, higher quality, and higher benefit than what is typically available in the market, and to make sure that the products are useful, robust and long lasting so that low-income rural Malawi villagers can maximize the benefits that they receive from this new, green technology.
The specific objective of this non-governmental organization is to provide a variety of affordable solar products to low-income Malawi villagers. Products are imported, assembled, and sold to villagers at discounted prices typically ranging from 30% to 70% of total cost, with international donors providing the difference. Products are distributed to and sold through a network of women-led village solar shops (ten shops are operating as of November 2027, with two more being established).
The NGO also conducts research to quantify and optimize the benefits of these technologies.
Solar products include, but are not limited to:
1. solar lights and solar batteries
2. solar pump irrigation systems
3. solar electric cookers
4. solar panels (photovoltaic modules)
Societal benefits include, but are not limited to:
1. poverty reduction/increased income by growing irrigated dry season crops (solar pumps)
2. improved indoor air quality, improved respiratory health by avoiding wood- or charcoal fueled cooking (solar electric cookers)
3. household cost savings (solar lights and batteries)
4. improved quality of life (all products)
5. reduced reliance on costly imported carbon-based fuels (all solar products)
6. reduced consumption of costly wood and charcoal fuels for cooking, and associated protection of Malawi's trees (solar electric cookers)
7. carbon-free economic development (no CO2 emissions from all solar products)
8. women's empowerment (women-led village solar shops, and women's groups that share the purchase and ownership of solar irrigation pump systems)
9. village education in solar technologies (all solar products)
Montfort Kalulu
Executive Director, Affordable Solar for Villagers NGO
Hope Chisale
Operations Manager, Affordable Solar for Villagers NGO
Dziko Mndala
Accounting Manager, Affordable Solar for Villagers NGO
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Africa Sun Power
Africa Sun Power Ltd (AFSP) is a Malawi shares corporation. Formed in early 2026, it recently purchased Kachione LLC's solar product inventory and assumed the Blantyre workshop lease at JB12 Ufulu Road, Njamba, Blantye. Its business model includes social benefits impact credits to reduce the cost of the solar products. The company provides an investment opportunity for overseas investors interested in participating in the rapidly expanding Malawi off-grid solar market.
2 July 2026: Mada Msakatiza and McSanta Mkoweka of Africa Sun Power demonstrate a new cooker system design to the Chairwomen of the village shop network. This new system uses multiple 150W 24V panels connected directly to the DC electric pressure cooker without need for a costly voltage converter.
McSanta Mkoweka
Chief Operations Officer, Africa Sun Power Ltd
Kachione LLC
(historic, no longer a team member)
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.
After a decade of cooperation, the relationship between Kachione LLC and Solar4Africa ended 30 September 2027, and all Kachione staff were laid off. Both organizations cooperated to ensure that all staff were paid Malawi’s legally mandated severance pay and pension arrears, but the end was nevertheless jarring and sad for everyone involved.
Moving past the mutual disappointment, it’s important to recognize and honor all the wonderful things the Kachione staff achieved over the years. Navigating the complex import process at the receiving end in Malawi, storing inventory, assembling products, manufacturing Forever Batteries (Batile Lokhalitsa), creating and maintaining the network of women-led village solar shops – these were all major achievements by Laurence Kachione and his staff.
Women's Village Solar Shops
There are ten to fifteen 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.