Bringing light and energy to Ugandan schools
March 13, 2018
Project goal: Bringing energy-efficient solutions to Ugandan schools, where many people lack access to electricity and the supply is unreliable.
Project implementation: Two schools in different parts of the country have met their energy needs with green solutions through installation of solar panels and energy-efficient stoves.
Climate Impact: Using energy-efficient stoves greatly reduces reliance on firewood — important in a country where deforestation is a major problem.
In Uganda, 80 percent of the population has no access to electricity. For those who do, it is expensive and unreliable. But some schools are trying to find environmentally friendly ways to improve energy supply so kids can get a better education.
New Africa, a primary school in Uganda's Luweero District, bought nine solar panels with the assistance of bank loans, and now has electric light.
Cooking in many Ugandan schools is done using firewood. Reliance on wood for cooking has contributed to rapid deforestation. Fifteen years ago, 36 percent of the country was covered in forest — but today, that figure is just 9 percent, according to the country's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.
To fight deforestation, the Kiryandongo Technical School in northern Uganda has kitted out its kitchen with energy-efficient stoves, and now relies far less on wood.
A film by Julia Henrichmann