AfyaSolar
AfyaSolar in Action: Powering Primary Healthcare When Communities Need It Most
A climate-resilient energy solution that helped a remote dispensary restore cold-chain reliability, reduce energy costs, and keep essential healthcare services running.
St. Therese of Alleson Dispensary
Kifuru Village, Kisarawe District
Faith-based rural dispensary
Energy assessment, climate resilience assessment, 4.2kW solar + battery system, Energy-as-a-Service, cold-chain support
The Challenge
In Kifuru Village, around 200 km from Dar es Salaam, St. Therese of Alleson Dispensary serves more than 1,200 patients every month. Most are women and children who depend on the facility for essential primary healthcare close to home.
But before AfyaSolar, the facility was operating without access to the national grid. Diesel generators and small solar lamps were not enough to support reliable healthcare delivery. During heavy rainfall and flood-prone seasons, power disruptions became even more difficult to manage.
The facility already had a medical refrigerator, but unstable electricity meant it could not be used reliably. Vaccines and temperature-sensitive medicines remained at risk, and the facility's ability to expand maternal and child health services was limited.
No grid electricity
High diesel dependence
Cold-chain risk
The Solution
St. Therese adopted AfyaSolar solution to bring reliable, climate-resilient power into the heart of its healthcare operations. Ubuntu AfyaLink began with an energy efficiency assessment to understand the facility's power needs, critical equipment, cost drivers, and wiring inefficiencies.
The team also conducted a climate resilience assessment to understand how flooding, heavy rainfall, and outage risks affected service continuity. From this, Ubuntu AfyaLink developed an adaptation plan and designed a system around the facility's most important healthcare functions.
AfyaSolar installed a 4.2kW solar and battery system under an Energy-as-a-Service model, allowing the facility to access reliable power without carrying the full upfront cost of infrastructure.
Energy Assessment
Mapped demand, priority loads, costs, and inefficiencies
Climate Resilience
Assessed flood exposure and service disruption risks
Solar + Battery System
Installed 4.2kW power for critical healthcare operations
Energy-as-a-Service
Enabled reliable power through an affordable service model
The Impact
With reliable solar power in place, St. Therese moved from fragile, fuel-dependent operations to a more stable model of primary healthcare delivery. The facility can now power consultations, lighting, diagnostics, water access, and medical refrigeration with far greater confidence.
"Before AfyaSolar, power interruptions affected almost everything we were trying to do, especially storing vaccines and maintaining consistent services during difficult weather conditions. Today, we can operate with much greater confidence. Our refrigerator works reliably, services continue more smoothly, and we are now planning to expand maternal health services because we finally have stable power."
Sr Dr. Sarah, Facility Manager, St. Therese of Alleson Dispensary
reduction in monthly energy costs from a previous baseline
solar and battery system installed for critical healthcare operations
patients served every month with more reliable facility power
of patients served are women and children
restored ability to operate medical refrigeration for vaccines and medicines
What changed inside the facility
Reliable healthcare operations
The facility can now keep essential services running with far less disruption.
Safer vaccine and medicine storage
Cold-chain reliability has been restored through stable medical refrigeration.
Lower operating pressure
Reduced diesel dependence has lowered costs and made energy spending more predictable.
Stronger climate resilience
The facility is better prepared to continue operating during heavy rainfall and disruption periods.
Before vs After energy journey
Before
No grid access
Diesel dependence
Unstable power
Refrigerator unusable
Services disrupted
After
Solar + battery power
Lower diesel use
Reliable critical loads
Cold-chain restored
Services continue
Why it matters
This case shows that reliable energy is not just a utility for primary healthcare facilities. It is the foundation that allows care to continue.
When power fails, vaccines are at risk, consultations are interrupted, maternal services become harder to expand, and communities lose confidence in local care.
At St. Therese, AfyaSolar helped turn unreliable energy into a platform for stronger healthcare delivery. More than 1,200 patients each month can now access care from a facility that is better powered, better prepared, and more resilient.
St. Therese of Alleson Dispensary: primary care closer to the community
Bring the same energy resilience to your facility
If your clinic, dispensary, pharmacy, laboratory, or healthcare program is facing unreliable power, high diesel costs, or cold-chain risks, AfyaSolar can help you build a more resilient energy foundation.