Co-designing community energy resilience: insights from a Bondo mini-grid in Southern Malawi

Abstract

Abstract Background Rural communities in Malawi remain highly vulnerable to livelihood shocks due to limited access to reliable and affordable energy. Strengthening energy resilience requires participatory approaches that integrate technical, social, and economic dimensions. This study presents a case study of a co-design project conducted in the Bondo Community, Southern Malawi, which focused on improving the existing Bondo mini-grid operated by the Mulanje Electricity Generation Agency. The project aimed to explore how community-driven co-design can enhance both community resilience and the energy system. Using semi-structured key informant interviews, focus group discussions), and three iterative co-design workshops, community members and project stakeholders collaboratively identified, prioritised, and refined locally appropriate interventions. Results The co-design process generated a range of ideas linking energy use to improving livelihoods. The community prioritised increasing power generation capacity and establishing a fruit-processing factory to promote income generation and productive use of electricity. Due to feasibility, financial constraints, and overlap with existing development projects, the initiative shifted from increased generation and the fruit-processing factory to clean cooking interventions, particularly the distribution of electric pressure cookers, which were new to the community. Although electric cooking would have limited direct economic benefits, it would increase awareness of sustainable energy practices, strengthen community ownership of the mini-grid, and reduce deforestation. Conclusions The Bondo co-design case study shows that participatory, community-led processes can generate realistic, context-specific energy solutions that improve both livelihoods and energy-system sustainability. Although not all proposed interventions were implemented, the process effectively met its research objective by showing how co-design can be applied to improve an existing mini-grid while deepening community engagement and resilience. The findings confirm that successful co-design requires iterative learning, equitable collaboration between developers and communities, and a clear link among energy access, socioeconomic development, and resilience. The process also exposed underlying tensions between personal and collective interests, underscoring the importance of transparent and inclusive participation in co-design.