Our story

In 2015, Siemens Stiftung and Solarkiosk AG joined hands in helping to provide more people in remote areas of Sub-Saharan Africa with reliable access to safe drinking water and clean energy. This is how SolarFountain gGmbH was born.

With the help of its partners and supporters, SolarFountain has bundled the expertise and experience of both organizations with the aim of creating an innovative, comprehensive and sustainable supply structure in Kenya and beyond. This structure will be designed to markedly improve quality of life in African communities and give local entrepreneurs an opportunity to conduct business by employing a social franchise model.

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Meet the team

Marek Wallenfels

Managing Director

“I am passionate about creating sustainable value. When I was first faced with the challenge of having a lasting impact on the water and energy sectors in Africa more than 15 years ago, I realized that tapping into local entrepreneurial spirit is the key. I am convinced that with SolarFountain we are creating the right platform at the right time for all people and organizations that want to help empower people in rural Africa.”

Pia Walter

Project Manager

“SolarFountain is a unique initiative because it seeks to empower local entrepreneurs by enabling them to provide basic goods and services to their own communities. There is so much unlocked potential in these remote regions of Subsaharan Africa and I believe that with the necessary support systems, SolarFountain will be able to tap into that and give people the opportunity to take control of their own development.”

Sylvia Niewiem

Senior Advisor

“We are providing sustainable access to basic goods with our kiosks, while creating new opportunities for innovative and creative solutions to the world‘s most pressing challenges.”

Andreas Spieß

Member of the Board

“We were always convinced that we want to use the multifunctional expendable design-technology of Solarkiosk AG for humanitarian, non-commercial purposes. Today, we are proud and happy that SolarFountain makes this dream happen.”

Rolf Huber

Member of the Board

“Being involved and actively supporting the great work of SolarFountain allows Siemens Stiftung to further increase its impact in Africa. With the business model being built on sustainability and self-reliance we aim at facilitating long-term infrastructural and social development.”

Lars Krückeberg

Member of the Board

“If we want to improve health and the standard of living in rural communities we need to focus on affordable and sustainable ways of providing access to safe drinking water and clean energy. As a non-profit organization with an entrepreneurial spirit SolarFountain will certainly be an important facilitator in attaining these goals. It is also a good example of what can be done when business and foundations join forces.”

Georg Bernwieser

Member of the Board

“We support SolarFountain, as we consider it an excellent vehicle to empower both local entrepreneurs and entire communities. It is also an entrepreneurial platform to expand our collaboration with other foundations and to get new partners involved who aim to increase access to basic infrastructure in Africa.”

Organizational structure

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Siemens Stiftung is the company foundation of Siemens AG. It was founded in 2008 and takes on non-profit projects in the fields of basic services, education, and culture. Since 2010, the foundation has launched 20 Safe Water Enterprises in East Africa, thereby providing 50.000 individuals with safe drinking water and enabling more than 70 employees to generate their own income.

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SOLARKIOSK AG was founded in 2011 in Berlin. Designed by the GRAFT architecture firm, SOLARKIOSK AG’s kiosk (www.solarkiosk.eu) product has won many awards and is already in widespread use across the continent. The company has set up 120 E-HUBBS in 10 countries in Africa, allowing it to reach more than 800.000 people with its solar services and products.

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Based and registered in Berlin (Germany) as a social business and granted with the status of a charitable organization. Its sole purpose is to support development cooperation. Initiates and partners up with local affiliates in Africa who receive guidance, support and resources within a social franchise framework.

Local implementing partner

SolarFountain Kenya Ltd.

We strive to work with local partners and experts on the ground wherever possible. SolarFountain Ltd. runs the non-profit franchise operations in Kenya independently with a small local management team. Manages relationships with public entities, local Hub-operators and other partners.