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Ithemba Foundation - Filatex

 

Empowering Young Women and

Delivering Clean Water Across Madagascar

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Antananarivo, Madagascar

 Ithemba launched the Dr. Lu Project, a groundbreaking initiative that combines renewable energy,

education, and water access to transform the lives of thousands of young women and children across

Madagascar.

At the heart of Ithemba’s mission is a commitment to keeping young girls in school and empowering

them to achieve financial independence before they become mothers. This mission has been

profoundly shaped by the vision of Dr. Fisch, whose Education Equals Power Foundation, created

almost 20 years ago, has inspired Ithemba to place health education for young women at the center

of its programs. As Dr. Fisch champions, Education and health are the most important forms of wealth

and Ithemba is determined to ensure that young women can safeguard it.

Ithemba also wants to demonstrate, like many other foundations, that doing good and doing well can be sustainable. Our goal is to inspire companies that don’t yet understand Africa that they can do business here and show that by helping empower local populations, they will not only build thriving markets but also foster deeper trust and loyalty. This approach helps companies maintain a higher disruption cost, because people will feel part of something larger than just buying a product. They will know that the margins do not only make the busiest wealthier but can also contribute to making the world a better place.

Thanks to the support of the Filatex Group, a leading renewable energy company in the Indian Ocean region and across Africa, Ithemba is now poised to expand its Free Water to People program on a national scale. In partnership with Coca-Cola Madagascar, Ithemba will distribute over 1,000,000 liters of free drinking water to children at EPP (écoles primaires publiques) schools across Antananarivo and to several health centers, including those run by Father Pedro, with whom we are already distributing 2,000 gallons of clean water (tested regularly) powered by solar panels. 

The revenues powering this social initiative will come, for the next 20 years, from the first 50 MW tranche of solar arrays to be installed in Majunga, Diego, Toamasina, Fihaonana, and Nosy Be.

Building the Future: Energy, Water, and Internet Access

Beyond water distribution, the Dr. Lu Project will set the stage for an even more ambitious vision.

In partnership with one of the world’s largest solar panel manufacturers, Ithemba plans to establish a dedicated plant to recycle and refurbish older solar panels. These panels will be redeployed to build distributed micro-grids (300–500 kW each, with batteries) in over 1,500 rural communities that currently lack water, electricity, and internet. By bringing power and connectivity, Ithemba aims to disenclave, unlock and connect isolated communities to the rest of Madagascar.

This pioneering facility will be exclusively staffed and operated by young Malagasy women, giving them training in advanced renewable technologies and creating a model of female led sustainable development for the entire continent.

Honoring a Visionary: The Dr. Lu Project

The solar arrays funding these transformative programs will proudly bear the name “Dr. Lu Project” in honor of Dr. Lu, a man who has dedicated his distinguished career to human prosperity and environmental stewardship long before these values became global priorities.