HERi is a social business that improves the lives of Madagascar’s rural population by distributing innovative products and services through a network of energy kiosks managed by female entrepreneurs.

The first HERi kiosk was opened in 2012. Since then, the company has expanded its operations to different regions of the country. It helps to improve the daily lives of thousands of Malagasy families living in rural areas.

Madagascar has a population of approximately 24.2 million, of which 91% live on less than two US dollars a day, putting the country among the ten poorest in the world. 78% of the population live in rural areas without a regular income and depend on subsistence farming.

In addition, the electricity access rate in Madagascar, at approximately 15%, is less than half the sub-Saharan Africa average; the rate is less than 5% in rural areas. As a result, the Malagasy population is highly vulnerable and generally does not have access to basic goods and services, depriving the majority of inhabitants of appropriate opportunities, better incomes, access to education and a decent standard of living.

HERi was founded in 2012 by Junte Wasmann and Fafah Vonintsoa to enable the most vulnerable rural populations to access innovative products and services while simultaneously promoting socioeconomic development and reducing the impact on the environment. They developed an innovative and inclusive distribution model based on a network of energy kiosks managed by female franchise entrepreneurs in the heart of rural villages in Madagascar.

This model has been highly successful and has enabled the company to rapidly increase its presence across the country. Today, HERi is continuing to develop its network towards a sustainable financial model based on economies of scale while increasing its socioeconomic impacts.