TU eMpower Africa e.V. (TUMA) is a non-profit organization whose idea
was incorporated in 2018 in Germany. We are students, researchers, alumni and
friends of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) that translate
research into reality.
We have over 5 years of experience working in and with countries of
the Global South. Currently, TU eMpower Africa has active projects in
Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Ghana and Kenya.
Our Mission
Our mission is to foster sustainable development of rural African communities by providing access to renewable resources under climatically
challenging conditions.
We focus on marginalized groups like female and youth smallholder
farmers for financial empowerment.
At TU eMpower Africa, we believe that real change happens when
sustainable technologies are matched with local ownership and
inclusive business models.
Our mission is to empower communities not just with access
- but with the capacity, tools, and structures to shape their
own resilient futures.
Business
Education
Investment
Network
Energy
Water
Food
Our Idea
At TU eMpower Africa, we create resilient, community-driven solutions at
the intersection of Water, Energy, and Food.
We start by securing access to solar-powered irrigation, enabling year-round farming and stronger local food systems. Our work extends to post-harvest storage, agro-processing, and market access — helping stabilize incomes and reduce waste.
We start by securing access to solar-powered irrigation, enabling year-round farming and stronger local food systems. Our work extends to post-harvest storage, agro-processing, and market access — helping stabilize incomes and reduce waste.
We explore ways to transform agricultural residues into bioenergy,
biofertilizer, and clean cooking fuels through emerging approaches like
insect farming and agro-waste carbonization - aiming to turn local
challenges into circular opportunities.
Our approach is rooted in local ownership. Through cooperative business
models, we empower communities to maintain infrastructure, manage
resources sustainably, and reinvest in their future.
The community can pay the costs for energy & water through their sales of
food
Water
is provided from the ground or surface water through solar-powered water pumps.Food
production from agriculture is increased through year-round irrigation.Energy
is provided from renewable sources through cost effective Photovoltaics & Biomass products.Water
is provided from the ground or surface water through solar-powered water pumps.Food
production from agriculture is increased through year-round irrigation.Energy
is provided from renewable sources through cost effective Photovoltaics & Biomass products.Major Benefits
- ● Supply of Energy & Water for local community
- ● Job creatiion in agriculture through Food sales
Our Approach
Our organization has always been working on projects with expert teams.
Our internationally based students and interns together with
their supervising researchers consult the local community and
small-scale farmers on how to enable their locally available renewable resources.
If necessary, our students travel to the communities to not only be
enabled to cover maintenance costs but to pay back the initial investment costs for the implemented technical system on site in order to collect data, realize specific projects, engage with our local partners and sustain our equipment.
Currently, many rural infrastructure projects depend heavily on donations. At TU eMpower Africa, we are working to change that! Our goal is
to empower communities to not only cover ongoing maintenance costs
but also repay a share of the initial investment of the implemented
technical systems - through income generated by improved agricultural productivity
and food sales.
In our irrigation initiatives, we introduce farming cooperatives to a community-based water user fee model. This approach is designed to promote financial ownership, strengthen long-term sustainability, and enable future expansion of the systems - driven and managed by the communities themselves.
In our irrigation initiatives, we introduce farming cooperatives to a community-based water user fee model. This approach is designed to promote financial ownership, strengthen long-term sustainability, and enable future expansion of the systems - driven and managed by the communities themselves.
We are guided by the principle “Analyze, Realize, Sustain”.
Step 1:
Project Preparation
Donor/
Investor
Investor
technical
Develop
concept
Develop
concept
business
Develop
concept
Develop
concept
business
Create
structure
Create
structure
Step 2:
Supported Operation
Donor
Local Organisation
Implement
Consult & Train
Step 3:
Independent Operation
Investor
Local Organisation
Switch to Business Model
Our Uniqueness
We are all volunteers. This means that we do not have any costs for
administrative staff as many other NGOs have. We are a
multi-disciplinary and multi-national mix of students, alumni and
friends of the Technical University of Munich. Team spirit and cultural humility are key. This
means that our intention is to attend to our project sites with the
intention to learn and work with the people on how to create an environment of curiosity that is interactive and
respects everyone's input in how we operate.
TUMA is a grass-roots movement where everybody is invited, regardless of which part of the world you live in, to take responsibility and get actively engaged.
TUMA is a grass-roots movement where everybody is invited, regardless of which part of the world you live in, to take responsibility and get actively engaged.
Our 10 Year Vision
TU eMpower Africa e.V. will still consult and support Energy-Water-Food projects in African communities until we are no longer needed there. We are
driven to upscale our ideas. For this, we envision that our donors/investors/students
are more involved in the benefits of our activities. In 10 years,
we will see TU eMpower Africa e.V. as part of a Munich-based innovation hub that
connects sustainably oriented stakeholders and consumers from the
European Union with various stakeholders from the Global South that constantly learn and benefit from each other, replacing Development
Aid as relic of the past century and leading the pathway to real cooperation on eye-level. Fundamental to our vision is the belief that sustainable development will be realized when community members take
ownership and responsibility for the entire development process.