Kutubdia Minigrid in Operation
Several media outlets covered the first solar generated electric power supply in Kutubdia island. We are sharing a precisely articulated feature from the renowned English daily, “The Financial Express”. Click the image to read the news.
Ghel and SureCash sign deal
Ghel is proud to announce that has signed an financial agreement with SureCash, a mobile money transfer service. The agreement reads that GHEL will use SureCash mobile banking and payment services for its 100 rural branches and 22 irrigation projects. The GHEL customers will also be able to pay their installments of solar systems, make payments, send and receive money, and pay bills using SureCash MFS. The GHEL branches will also be used as retail agents for SureCash. Managing Director of Green Housing & Energy Limited (GHEL) Dr Mostaq Ahmmed and CEO of Progoti Systems Dr Shahadat Khan exchanging documents after signing SureCash mobile financial services agreement on behalf of their respective organizations in the city on Monday.
GHEL interns visit ASA's new health complex in Sylhet district
On the 18th of may, ASA inaugurated its first Health Complex in Chunarughat, Habiganj, in the Sylhet district, an opportunity for the managing director of GHEL, Dr Mostaq Ahmmed, and its interns to go on the field and meet both people of rural areas and ASA staff.
In cooperation with the British NGO Sight Savers, this Health Care Center aims at enabling poor people of remote areas to get free eye treatments, including operation and medicine. Occular diseases are indeed a big issue in Bangladesh since 1 million people suffer from cataract, which often leads to blindness or quasi-blindness. In many cases, people suffering from cataract can neither afford the surgery nor the diagnosis. That’s why ASA Health Care Center offers free diagnosis to detect the cases of cataract and free glasses in prevention, to lessen the risks of arising cataract cases. The project is already a great success. Only on this inauguration day, 1200 diagnosis have been realized and about 5 lacks people should get treatment thanks to this program which should soon extend progressively to the whole country.
On this occasion, Enamul Haque Mostafa Shahid, minister of social welfare and Shafiqual Haque Choudhury, founder and president of ASA were present to honor this day.
AGRITECH conference
“Solar energy is a great solution to environmental and energy access issues. But it is still incredibly expensive for low and mid-income people. That’s why we – GHEL – promote technology transfer, cost reduction and customized financial solutions for the Bangladeshi people”.
Dhaka, April 4th, 2010 – ASA’s new sister concern, GHEL, was presented at the Agritech Business Seminar on agriculture, biotechnology and green products of Bangladesh at the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel by Dr. Mostaq Ahmmed, COO of ASA and Managing Director of GHEL. After an inauguration speech given by the minister of Fisheries and Livestock Mr. Abdul Latif Biswas, ASA gave a presentation introducing GHEL’s objectives, mission and vision: to provide Bangladeshi people with clean, renewable and affordable energy supplies and houses. It is time for Bangladesh, which is one of the countries the most threatened by climate change and which still had a 47% poverty level in 2009, to look for pragmatic solutions to improve the life perspectives of its people.
GHEL is a sister concern of ASA highly reputed microfinance institution and of International Center for Microfinance (ICMSE) which is dedicated to Social Enterprises development. It will commercialize three types of products: Low-Cost Green Housing, Solar products and Agro Business products, all sold at an affordable price and all supported by a microcredit programme provided by ASA. There is today a crying need for decent housing and energy supply in Bangladesh, which GHEL will contribute to meet thanks to its technology transfer from Europe and to ASA’s microfinance know-how. Four solar products will enter the market: Solar Home Systems, Solar Lanterns, Solar Water Pumps and Solar Tricycle, and four different models of Green Houses equipped with clean and renewable device (solar panel, biogas plant, ecological sanitation, etc.) will be available for sale. GHEL’s products can already be seen in one of its two display centers at ASA Tower in Dhaka, and all products will be offered for sale in each of ASA’s 64 branch offices throughout all Bangladesh within June 2010.
The considerable scope of ASA network in the country (27,000 staff and 7.13 million clients) foreshadows a great future for GHEL whose strategy is to distribute its products within ASA staff and ASA clients before starting to capture the whole domestic market. Already 8,000 Low-Cost Green Houses have been ordered by ASA staff, and GHEL intends to sell 50,000 Solar Lanterns in 2010 which shouldn’t be that challenging considering the price of GHEL’s products: 20 to 40% cheaper than its existing contenders on the Bangladeshi market.
ASA & GHEL initiative seems to be more than just another environmentally-oriented project. Its combined solution (low-cost green products associated to microcredit) makes it an innovative large-scale Social Business that both overcomes the global environmental challenges issued from climate change and contributes to provide access to vital, robust, sustainable and income-generating products.
Association for Social Advancement (ASA) reveals its new venture Green Housing and Energy Ltd (GHEL) at Agritech fair and launches its first Green financing for Green products initiative.