English: Elizabeth Mukwimba is a 62-year-old Tanzanian woman who now has solar lighting and electricity in her home at the flick of a switch, thanks to a scheme backed by UK aid.

Elizabeth has had an M-Power solar panel and lights fitted in her home by Off Grid Electric, a private sector company dedicated to providing sustainable, affordable energy to people in developing countries who aren't connected to the electricity grid.

It means that Elizabeth now has lighting at home at night, which means she doesn't have to buy expensive kerosene. The money she's saved already has helped her put a new tin roof on her house. It also means her grandchildren can read and do their homework in the evening.

UK aid is providing support to help Off Grid Electric expand its business to reach more and more people who live in remote, rural areas, through two international partnership programmes - Energising Development (EnDev), and the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund Renewable Energy and Adaptation to Climate Technologies (AECF REACT).

The UK's support to EnDev is a 'results based financing' facility - this provides a financial incentive for companies like Off Grid - meaning they only get access to finance if they meet a given target (increasing the number of people who have access to clean energy) over a fixed period of time. This acts to boost the market returns for private sector companies providing services to poorer consumers, thereby attracting investment and enabling continued market expansion after the project (and financial incentive) ends.

In less than 2 years, Off Grid Electric has installed solar power systems in over 22,000 homes across Tanzania, meaning many more people now have access to cheap, renewable electricity - a vital step forward in a country where less than 14% of the population are connected to the electricity grid.

Picture: Russell Watkins/Department for International Development