In the heart of Ghana’s agricultural landscape, where crop losses after harvest threaten livelihoods, 24-year-old Naa Ayeley is pioneering a solar-powered revolution.
Her startup, Sunify Solardry Technology, is turning sunlight into a tool for resilience, offering smallholder farmers an affordable way to combat food waste and secure their harvests.
Ayeley’s journey began not in a lab or a corporate boardroom, but through a leap of faith into entrepreneurship. After studying midwifery, she shifted gears in 2023, joining the Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) AgriTech Challenge Classic, a program designed to nurture young agribusiness innovators.
By 2024, her team’s vision had crystallized: mobile solar dryers that preserve grains and staples without reliance on costly electricity or weather-vulnerable open-air methods. Their pitch won top honors at KIC’s AgriTech Challenge Pro Final, catapulting Sunify into an incubation phase where the idea became reality.
“Science taught me to ask ‘how,’ but KIC taught me to ask ‘why not?’” Ayeley reflects. Her background in healthcare, she explains, sharpened her problem-solving instincts, yet it was the hands-on training at KIC that transformed her into an entrepreneur. Today, Sunify’s portable drying units—built with locally sourced materials—slash post-harvest losses by up to 40% for farmers in remote communities. The technology not only extends shelf life but also stabilizes incomes, particularly for women who dominate Ghana’s small-scale farming sector.
The ripple effects are tangible. By replacing traditional drying methods, which often leave crops exposed to pests and rain, Sunify ensures higher-quality grains that fetch better market prices. Additionally, the startup trains youth to operate and maintain the solar units, creating jobs in regions where opportunities are scarce. “This isn’t just about machines,” Ayeley emphasizes. “It’s about rewriting the narrative of what’s possible for rural communities.”
Her work arrives at a critical moment. The UN estimates that 14% of food produced globally is lost post-harvest, a figure even higher in sub-Saharan Africa. Innovations like Sunify’s offer a dual solution: curbing waste while reducing the carbon footprint of food preservation. Yet Ayeley’s story also underscores a quieter shift—the rise of young African women leading STEM-driven ventures in historically male-dominated fields.
On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Ayeley’s journey stands as a beacon. “Solar energy isn’t just for powering homes,” she says. “It’s for powering change.” Her sentiment echoes a growing movement across the continent, where programs like KIC, backed by partners such as the Mastercard Foundation, are equipping young entrepreneurs to merge tradition with technology.
As climate challenges intensify, the demand for scalable, sustainable solutions will only grow. For Ayeley, the path forward is clear: “Agriculture is our past, but innovation is our future. Every harvest saved is a step toward that future.” In a world grappling with food insecurity, her vision—and those of countless young innovators like her—might just be the lifeline farmers need.
The Kosmos Innovation Center, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, continues to support youth-led agribusinesses, aiming to unlock economic potential while addressing systemic challenges in Africa’s agricultural sector.
