The story of Fundación Eki began during a stage of the Camino de Santiago. It was there that José Galíndez and his brother reflected on how they could give back to society for all they had received. From that conversation, an idea emerged in 2017 that soon became a transformative mission: bringing solar energy to schools, hospitals, and local communities in sub-Saharan Africa, where access to electricity remains a daily challenge.
Since then, Fundación Eki has installed more than 160 solar systems across 20 countries, through a unique model that not only ensures a reliable power supply, but also promotes community autonomy by offering solidarity-based financing and technical training, ensuring sustainable, long-term impact.
This mission found strong alignment with Kategora Real Estate, which for the past year has supported Fundación Eki through a direct allocation of a portion of its annual profits. This partnership is part of a broader vision of corporate responsibility, where investment also seeks to leave a social and environmental legacy. «We are convinced that our claim, ‘Investing to leave a legacy,’ truly comes to life when investment is placed at the service of the common good,» says Kepa Apraiz, CEO and founder of Kategora Real Estate and Kora Living.
Fundación Eki: Solar Energy for Development with Autonomy
What sets Fundación Eki apart from other organizations is its vertically integrated model. The foundation manages the entire technical process—from selecting the counterpart, design, purchasing, logistics, installation, to real-time monitoring of each system from its headquarters in Getxo—ensuring efficiency and the responsible use of every resource.
Through this model, Fundación Eki has developed an accessible financing system for its beneficiaries—local and international NGOs, religious missions, and other community organizations—that allows them to amortize the cost of solar installations over a maximum of ten years. «With the money they used to spend on diesel fuel—only enough to run generators a few hours a day—they now have 24-hour electricity that is much more reliable and clean,» explains Nacho Mingo, Project Management Lead at Fundación Eki.
In addition, the foundation is committed to training local talent, creating solar training centers in collaboration with solidarity-based institutions and vocational schools. The goal is twofold: to professionalize the installation and maintenance of photovoltaic systems and to foster the growth of a local, autonomous, and sustainable solar energy industry.
