Kukua, a data provider for CHG, has been awarded a Microsoft Affordable Access Initiative (AAI) grant. According to Microsoft's Affordable Access Initiative website, "Kukua's grant will be used to conduct an impact study in Uganda, and further develop its apps, products, and delivery channels with an aim of improving and better scaling its solution."

 

While the company is based out of the Netherlands, they work throughout Africa (currently in Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast). They have been working with Pete Peterson directly for about a year and a half to deliver Nigeria station data to the CHG that can be ingested into our data products such as CHIRPS. According to their website, Kukua received a grant from the European Union to roll out an initial 70 weather stations in Nigeria.

 

Kukua develops and provides solar powered weather stations at low cost to rural communities. Their weather stations gather rain, temperature, humidity, and wind data. They use SMS to upload the data and partner with private local infrastructure to lower costs and improve the integrity of the data.