Previously known as Quality Program Services, Community Power and Kambo Energy Group – originally established by Areef Abraham – is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year!

Growing up in post-colonial Tanzania, Areef was presented with the opportunity to understand contrasting viewpoints and differing world views. By living in such differing countries as Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and Canada, Areef has been able to develop a unique comprehension of how best to reach and engage with a wide array of people.

Throughout his career, Areef has combined his entrepreneurial and technical skills with his passion for helping people to impact diverse communities, such as new immigrants, Indigenous communities, and commercial businesses, in a measurable and meaningful way. Areef has been a tireless champion for improving the lives of hard to reach communities in Canada through energy efficiency.

His passion for community and energy efficiency led him to launch Community Power (previously Quality Program Services) in 2008/2009 with his late business partner, Tom Smith. They initially formed the business to help both First Nations and other underserved groups manage and reduce their energy costs. He is extremely successful at engaging, understanding, and working with First Nation communities, and has learned first-hand the negative impact that poor housing conditions had on energy bills and how the energy costs further depleted scarce financial resources. Over the past 10 years, Community Power is proud to have served over 60 Indigenous communities, secured over $4 million in funding over the last four years, and delivered over 30 custom projects and programs over the last six years.

After launching Community Power, Areef’s children (Yasmin and Karim) also identified other markets that could benefit from useful energy efficiency education and upgrades, and so Empower Me and Kambo Electric were born. They inherited his vision and entrepreneurial spirit and are now are the driving forces behind these companies and are carrying the torch forward.

Empower Me is Canada’s only energy conservation and education change program designed for and delivered by members of diverse, multilingual, and hard to reach communities. We focus on newcomers and Indigenous people by delivering free programming and education in an appropriate way to bridge the gap of other programs, and to ensure participants understand their energy bills and choices so they can save energy, save money, save the environment, and increase the comfort and safety of their homes.

Kambo Electric implements turn-key energy solutions that make buildings more profitable, efficient, and sustainable. By offering electrical contracting services, electric vehicle charging site analysis and installation, LED upgrades, and submetering and monitoring, Kambo is dedicated to leaving a minimum impact on the environment on all of its projects.

Parent company, Kambo Energy Group, is a social enterprise that designs and delivers clean energy services for indigenous communities, utilities, governments, and commercial buildings.Empower Me, Kambo Electric, and Community Power operate as divisions of Kambo Energy Group.  Across all of these divisions and programs, Kambo Energy Group is passionate about placing people at the centre, equipping and empowering them to make smart, safe, affordable energy choices. Collectively, these three divisions helped to revitalize entire communities, identify savings for business and homeowners valued at over $26 million dollars, and deliver demonstrable results to sponsors and partners.