Sylvie is the Regional Director with the Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons in Madagascar, where she focuses on expanding electricity access in the Boeny region, located in the northwestern part of the country, specifically in and around Mahajanga.
Each month, the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) spotlights an individual from one of the participating countries who is working tirelessly to advance the initiative at the regional or national level.
As May’s Champion of the Month, VAVIZARA Sylvie, is an engineer by training and has been working on minigrids since 2014. She is responsible for monitoring AMP interventions in her region and was recently part of the team that hosted AMP Comoros for a cross-country learning and collaboration exchange.
Q: What’s your story—how did you end up working in the clean energy industry?
A: I hold an engineering degree in Hydraulic Energy from the École Supérieure Polytechnique d’Antsiranana and a DEA in Energy from the Université d’Antananarivo. In 2012, I was Operations Manager at JIRAMA’s hydroelectric plant in Andekaleka (Madagascar’s largest hydroelectric plant). After passing the competitive recruitment exam for engineers at the Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons (MEH), I left Andekaleka. However, I had to wait two years before actually joining the MEH. During this period, I worked with Catholic Relief Services for the development of rural communities in Ambovombe Androy.
Q: Briefly describe your role and involvement with AMP so far.
A: The MEH has an affiliated organization: ADER (Agence de Développement de l’Électrification Rurale), operational since 2004, whose role is to ensure electrification in rural areas. In my areas of intervention (the four regions of Mahajanga Province), ADER is not yet established. As a result, the Direction Interrégionale de l’Énergie et des Hydrocarbures (Inter-regional Department of Energy and Hydrocarbons) is responsible for monitoring the implementation of mini-power station installations (minigrids), as well as overseeing their operation in rural areas, with or without ADER’s collaboration. So far, the AMP project in Madagascar is active in the south of the country, but not yet in the northwestern region (Mahajanga Province), which is my area of intervention. However, I have been coordinating the monitoring of rural electrification (minigrids) in this area since 2014.
Q: What excites you most about the potential of AMP, specifically in your country?
A: We bring light to non-electrified areas—as if we were the very source of that light. Electricity reduces insecurity, promotes development, and creates jobs.
Q: What is one thing you want people to know about minigrids and access to electricity?
A: Minigrids are a key driver of development in non-electrified areas, increasing access to electricity.