Commercial, Solar  -  July 21, 2023

Seeding Mercy Collaborates in Solar Powered Pumps

Seeding Mercy Inc. (“SMI”), a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the hunger crisis in East Africa, announced a strategic collaboration to fundthe deployment of off-grid solar powered irrigation pumps for farms in South Sudan.

The agreement was signed with Sunnova Energy International, Inc.,  a U.S. Energy as a Service (EaaS) provider.

The initiative not only aims to combat hunger but also sets the path for sustainable and renewable development in East Africa.

Since its establishment in 2017, SMI has been committed to enlisting client farmers, providing them with training, resources, and land - 90% of whom are women, responsible for managing 800 acres of farms across five villages in South Sudan.

SMI and Sunnova joined forces to invest in the deployment of solar power for irrigation purposes in Aweil, South Sudan. 

Utilizing a “feed-forward” model that contracts with local farmers, SMI provides them land, tools, and training in return for a fair share of the profits to replicate and reinvest the same model in other communities. 

Through Sunnova’s philanthropic contribution, which included portable solar systems, pumps, farming tools and transportation, SMI installed a solar-powered off-grid irrigation system to support three newly established farms. 

"“This collaboration goes beyond merely providing solar solutions; it strives to empower the community itself,” said Aken Tong, Chief Executive Officer of Seeding Mercy Inc. in a statement. “By training SMI's clients to become farmers, we foster a renewable and agricultural "micro democracy" in South Sudan. This donated equipment has played a pivotal role in facilitating the irrigation of 18 acres of farmland across three villages. By harnessing clean and renewable energy, we have reduced our dependency on scarcely available fossil fuels and have also ensured sustainable irrigation practices, even in remote regions—the first of its kind to be deployed in South Sudan."