Art for Ethiopia

Patient room at Karat Primary Hospital during our visit in December 2024

Art with Purpose

With our auction “Art for Ethiopia“, your contribution goes beyond acquiring a beautiful piece of art - it fuels a transformative change in Ethiopia’s healthcare sector. Every bid you place helps power a solar energy system for Karat Primary Hospital, a crucial medical facility serving 700,000 people in the southern Ethiopia.

The Situation at hand

Ethiopia, a nation of over 132 million, has endured a tumultuous decade marked by conflict, political instability, and environmental struggles.
Nationwide healthcare system faces enormous challenges, and power reliability is at the heart of it. Frequent blackouts, sometimes lasting for days, undermine the operations of medical facilities.

Many hospitals have turned to diesel generators to fill the gap, but they are costly, inefficient, and environmentally damaging. These generators, while temporarily solving the problem, only perpetuate a cycle of crisis, draining hospital budgets and limiting resources that should be spent on patient care. What’s needed is a solution that’s both sustainable and reliable - a solution that can break this cycle once and for all.

Why it matters

685M

people still live without access to electricity, with 80% of them in Sub-Saharan Africa. (source)

2x

the price of patient care in Ethiopia. Backup diesel generator are the only alternative option but are costly and unsustainable.

27

newborns died last year at Karat Primary Hospital, when incubators failed during blackouts.

50%

of Africa’s vaccines are lost due to poor refrigeration (source)

70%

of medical devices are damaged due to high-level power surges that occur after blackouts.

15%

of health-care facilities lack any access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa. (source)

Karat Primary Hospital

Karat Primary Hospital serves a community of 700,000 people in the Konzo region. The hospital treats over 7,000 patients each month, offering critical services like emergency care, outpatient treatments, maternity services, and intensive inpatient care.
Yet despite its significance, the hospital is unable to function effectively because of regular power failures, which disrupt life-saving treatments and put patient safety at risk.

In 2024, the hospital faced several tragic incidents due to these power disruptions, including the death of 27 newborns. These events highlight the urgent need for a permanent solution - something that goes beyond temporary fixes like costly diesel generators, which only provide a stopgap measure rather than a lasting solution.

More photos of Karat Primary Hospital, taken during our visit in December 2024, are available at the bottom of this page.

  • Serves a population of 700,000 people

  • Treats 7,004 patients per month

  • Every day performs: 173 outpatient treatments,
    14 emergencies, 7 deliveries, 25 pregnancy treatments;
    9 new inpatient treatments, 2 new intensive inpatient treatments

Our Solution

We believe that solar power is the answer to Ethiopia’s energy challenges. With abundant sunlight and a growing need for clean, reliable energy, solar technology offers a sustainable solution to power hospitals like Karat Primary Hospital.
Our approach leverages German solar technology and strategic partnerships to deliver affordable, high-quality solar solutions that will power healthcare facilities for years to come.

For Karat Primary Hospital, our goal is to install a solar power system capable of generating 132 kWp of energy. This system will eliminate the need for diesel generators, significantly reduce the hospital's carbon footprint, and save the hospital approximately €365,000 over the next decade. More importantly, it will provide consistent, uninterrupted power, ensuring that essential medical services like surgery, intensive care, and vaccine storage can be delivered without the looming fear of power failure.

  • Photovoltaic System (PV) Cost: €109,572

  • System Size: 132 kWp

  • Panels: 322 x 410W (Manufacturer: LONGi)

  • Inverters: 2 x 50 kW (Manufacturer: Deye)

  • Batteries: 2 x 61.44 kWh (Manufacturer: Deye)

  • Annual Yield: 183.29 MWh

  • Cost Savings per kWh through PV: 57.4 %

The Impact

Every 10 years

135,076

additional treatments

1,021

tons savings of CO2 emissions

€365,400

in Gross savings

€293,416

in Net Savings

Our Partners

Aid Pioneers believe that lasting impact comes from working hand in hand with local communities and non-profits. Their deep knowledge ensures our solar solutions are tailored, sustainable, and truly meet local needs.

For this project, we are proud to partner with ForAfrika, Africa’s largest humanitarian and development organization. With decades of experience, ForAfrika provides life-saving support in health, education, and livelihoods, empowering communities to thrive.

For this project, we are happy to partner with Enpal, one of Germany’s leading solar suppliers, to deliver high-quality, cost-effective solar solutions.
By leveraging our corporate network and in-house solar expertise, we are able to build world-class systems at 70% less than local vendor quotes - backed by 10+ year warranties for lasting reliability.

Be part of the solution

By participating in this auction, you’re not just purchasing a piece of art - you’re contributing directly to a hospital that serves thousands of people every day.
Collectively we can help Karat Primary Hospital continue its vital work, bringing reliable, renewable energy to one of the most underserved regions in Ethiopia.

This is your chance to make a lasting impact, one solar panel at a time.