To showcase the work of their Global Impact Fund project in Kenya, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) invited Fairpicture to document how reliable, clean energy access is transforming community life. Fairpicture was awarded the assignment after a competitive selection process, in recognition of its ethical storytelling model, collaboration with local visual creators, and strong creative approach.
Fairpicture photographer and filmmaker Mutunga Al-Amin travelled with his team across three counties – Kilifi, Kwale, and Taita-Taveta – to capture the story of schools and clinics gaining access to solar power and improved infrastructure. Over five days, they produced a complete set of photographs and documentary videos, highlighting how reliable electricity and local training are opening new paths for learning, health, and livelihoods.
The assignment focused on showing not just the technology or systems, but the human stories behind them — students, teachers, health workers and technicians benefiting from IEC work By connecting technical expertise and standards with lived experience, the visual content brings to life the real-world impact of international standardization.
Client
IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission
Visual Creator
Mutunga Al-Amin (Kenya)
Theme
Empowering communities through safe and reliable solar energy
Locations
Kilifi, Kwale and Taita-Taveta (Kenya)
Date
October 2025
Mrima wa Ndege Dispensary, located in Kilifi County, Kenya, operates in an area with limited electricity access. This lack of reliable power significantly hinders the facility’s ability to provide effective care at night, making it challenging to treat patients after dark. Vaccine storage is also compromised, forcing the staff to rely on gas cylinders to run the refrigeration system.
Photo: Mutunga Al-Amin / IEC / Fairpicture
In the coastal regions of Taita-Taveta, Kilifi, and Kwale, the IEC Global Impact Fund project helps schools and healthcare facilities gain access to safe, reliable electricity. Working with Differ Community Power (DCP) and other local partners, the initiative has helped train local technicians in solar installation and maintenance, while improving conditions for learning and healthcare in underserved communities.
This work feeds into a larger global goal: demonstrating how international standards – such as those developed by IEC – can have direct, measurable impact on the ground. The project also addresses environmental sustainability by supporting responsible recycling and the decommissioning of old materials. Fairpicture’s role was to make these stories visible, focusing on the people, the change, and the local leadership driving it.
The IEC Global Impact Fund, with their partners Differ Community Power, have stepped in to address these challenges by upgrading the dispensary’s power infrastructure. They are replacing the outdated system, installing new wiring, and ensuring that all electrical work meets IEC Standards for safety and reliability. Additionally, the surrounding communities are playing a vital role in supporting and maintaining these improvements, helping to ensure the long-term functionality and sustainability of the upgraded system.
Photo: Mutunga Al-Amin / IEC / Fairpicture
Celestine Atieno (left) and Wayne Dwallow (right) from Differ Community Power explaining how the new solar installation works.
Photo: Mutunga Al-Amin / IEC / Fairpicture
IEC Global Impact Fund: Powering change through standards
As part of IEC's first Global Impact Fund project, 7 primary schools and 2 healthcare dispensaries in Kenya have been equipped with clean and reliable electricity through the rehabilitation of dysfunctional solar installations.
Video: Mutunga Al-Amin / IEC / Fairpicture
Zoë Smart
Creative Content Specialist at IEC
Head nurse Rashid-Salim measures Purity Josephat's blood pressure.
Photo: Mutunga Al-Amin / IEC / Fairpicture
With these upgrades in place, the situation at the dispensary has transformed significantly. Patients from the surrounding community – like Zawadi Ndege Ndugu with her new born Linton Baraka – can now access treatment more easily and safely, even during nighttime emergencies. Vaccines are properly stored in a fully functional refrigerator, ensuring their quality and effectiveness. Staff are able to use laptops and access the internet to support service delivery, record-keeping, and reporting. Additionally, community members can now charge their phones at the facility – an essential service in an area previously without electricity. These improvements have greatly enhanced both healthcare delivery and community well-being.
Photo: Mutunga Al-Amin / IEC / Fairpicture
Mutunga Al-Amin
Fairpicture Visual Creator
Rehema Karisa from the Mkuluni Primary School in Mariakani, near Mariakani Town in Kaloleni Constituency, Kilifi County.
Photo: Mutunga Al-Amin / IEC / Fairpicture
Today, the students of Mkuluni Primary School are once again able to engage in their computer club projects, learning, creating, and coding with renewed enthusiasm – here you see Mwanpili Ali, Festus Hamisi and Milicent Dzame and with their teacher Sammy Kalume Kadenge.
Photo: Mutunga Al-Amin / IEC / Fairpicture
Meet Sarah Lwambi, a student at Mtsanganyiko Primary School. She gets curious when she sees Teresiah Wanjiko, an engineer working on the solar project at her school. The fact that Teresiah is a woman gives her hope that one day her dream of becoming an engineer could come true.
Photo: Mutunga Al-Amin / IEC / Fairpicture
The final deliverables – a photo series and documentary videos – were produced across Kilifi, Kwale, and Taita-Taveta counties, capturing the impact of clean energy and technical training in real-life settings. From schoolyards to health clinics, and from solar installations to hands-on training, the visuals highlight the tangible benefits of IEC standardization work in action.
The materials are featured in IEC’s multimedia scrollytelling report: an interactive experience that brings audiences closer to the people and communities driving change.
In parallel, Fairpicture produced an independent behind-the-scenes film – “Power to Portrait – A Creator’s Journey” – offering a glimpse into our collaborative process with local visual creators. The video documents how ethical production unfolds on the ground, from story development to consent and community engagement.
This first collaboration between IEC and Fairpicture not only delivered compelling visual stories but also demonstrated a shared commitment to ethical, locally led storytelling – setting the tone for future partnerships.
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