e-Mobility for Bird-Watching in The Gambia

Birdwatching is one of the main tourism attractions in The Gambia. Over 600 different bird species are registered in the local mangrove forests. In the season between October and May each year, several thousand visitors from around the world come to The Gambia to experience this unique bird world on guided boat tours. So far, the boats have been powered by gasoline outboard engines, which cause both noise and environmental pollution. A project that was initiated by VoltaViewAfrica and BenaBena The Gambia with Ya Ya Barry, President of the “Gambia Bird Guides” is now providing relief: the gradual and sustainable conversion of tour boats to environmentally friendly electric outboard motors. The first tests with a prototype e-motor were carried out in Koto in November 2023. In January 2024, another 6 Gambia Bird Guides boats will be equipped with electric motors as standard. The associated batteries are charged exclusively via solar power. This project therefore makes a sustainable contribution to the preservation of this globally unique bird world.

Ausrüstung eines Kanus am Creek in Koto mit Elektromotor
Equipping a canoe on the creek in Koto with an electric motor
Bird guide Malick Suso mit e-Motor Prototypen
Bird guide Malick Suso mit e-Motor Prototypen

Other Projects

suneferry

suneferry

suneferry The 400-kilometer-long Gambia River is a major obstacle to north-south transportation along the West African coast. Apart from the only ferry connection between Banjul and Barra, there is only…

SuneFishing

SuneFishing

sunefishing Oyster fishing plays an important role in the local economy and culture in The Gambia. The women traditionally fish with hand or petrol-powered boats, but this poses considerable challenges….

Watotowaafrica Waisenhaus

The Watoto wa Africa Orphanage

The Watoto Wa Africa orphanage in Mwanza/Tanzania is an institution in great need, as it has no or only irregular electricity and no drinking water. Its only source of water is the collection of rainwater in large tanks. In spring 2023, there was a typhoid epidemic with fatalities. To support the orphanage, VoltaViewAfrica will install a Powerhouse by the end of this year, which will provide electricity and clean drinking water for the orphanage. This project is supported by the Rotary Club of Goslar.

sun-E-Boat

Sun-e-Boat

Fishing is the main source of income for many families in sub-Saharan Africa along the west and east African coasts and the large lakes in the central parts of the continent, e.g. Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Malawi Lake. The fishing boats are mainly operated with petrol outboard engines.