A Unique Partnership For Large Scale Distribution Of Stoves
PHOTO CAPTION: Alliance staff member Stevie Valdez presenting an incentive certificate to Regional Managers at the invitation of ESAF MFI.
Two companies on the same wave length have formed a unique partnership and, with passion and energy, have been supplying India with improved biomass stoves on a large scale. Greenway Grameen Infra, a Pilot Innovation Fund and Spark Fund grantee from India, has joined hands with ESAF Retail and ESAF Micro Finance and Investments (MFI) to distribute clean biomass stoves. Within a 3-month period they sold a record 50,000 stoves to the members of local women’s financial self-help groups.
Alliance staff had the opportunity to visit with ESAF staff in Thrissur and Vaikom in Kerala State where they met with several self-help groups that have bought the stoves and learned more about the successful business model for dissemination of Greenway stoves.
ESAF has access to 434,000 members through its 150 branches and is a well-known name in Kerala, and six other Indian states. ESAF’s commitment is evident from its top management support, to the dedication of loan officers in demonstrating Greenway stoves, and in booking orders. Greenway Grameen and ESAF have worked out clear terms of engagement; ESAF Retail and MFI staffs are incentivized for sales of stoves; and ESAF provides user feedback to Greenway quickly and addresses grievances immediately.
Greenway Grameen and ESAF have set a target of 120,000 clean cookstove sales for 2014-2015. If the 3-month sales are any indication, they are most likely to meet or exceed their target.