‘WITH THESE SOLAR PANELS WE CAN HELP MANY YOUNG PEOPLE!’

Caleb Wakhungu, Mount Elgon Self-Help Community Program, Uganda

Life in the northeast of Uganda is not easy. Many people live in poverty. There is lack of work, access to electricity and housing. In the area around Mount Elgon, the Mount Elgon Self-Help Community Program (MESHCP) is committed to improving the livelihood of its inhabitants through sustainable initiatives.

Driving force behind this Community Based Organisation is Caleb Wakhungu. “As a coordinator I support projects that have been set up by local people themselves and that will improve their lives and those of the community. In 2010, for example, we launched an initiative to make renewable energy accessible to the local community. Only few of them have access to electricity. For lighting and cooking they often use kerosene or charcoal. This is expensive and also bad for both health and the climate.”

MESHCP provides an alternative by offering solar panels. An installation with a small battery will supply enough power to charge a mobile phone, a few LED lights and a radio. In some cases the panels are supplied for a few dollars a month on a hire-purchase basis. Which is usually less than what a family spends on kerosene. After a while the person renting becomes the owner of the panels.

Own training programme for solar panel technicians

Since the start of the program, the solar panels have been made by the organisation itself in combination with a training programme. Young people learn here how to build and install solar panels. Caleb: “‘It works in more ways than one: we make solar energy accessible to poor people in rural areas, teach young people a trade and provide employment. Since the start of the training, we have been able to train 75 young people to become technicians. Some of them are now working with us. The others we support so that they are able to start for themselves.”

The workshop of MESHCP has a great lack of tools. Caleb: “‘At the moment we make about 20 to 30 solar panels per day. Students have to share tools and often wait for each other. With the support of Gered Gereedschap we can improve the quality of the training, train more young people to become technicians and further increase the production of solar panels. This will benefit everyone!

Get involved

Will you help Caleb Wakhungu and the people of Mount Elgon Self-Help Community Program to train more young people to become solar panel technicians? Then support this project! A total of € 6,902 is needed. Every donation is most welcome. For 25 euros we can already supply a set of tools. You can submit your donation via iDEAL on our website: www.geredgereedschap.nl/en/donate-now

Also on behalf of Caleb Wakhungu, thanks in advance for your help!