Empowering girls in Solar energy

"If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community.”

Access to affordable, reliable energy is a key to economic development, as there is a direct link between having electricity and the quality of a person’s living standards. Solar education and skill development are important for sustaining the deployment of solar systems in the regions where there is not access to electricity. Industries as partner with academic institutions, have a role to play to enhance skills with many hands-on training.

Why should we have more girls in solar field?

An African proverb says that. If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community.” Educating girls is educating families, communities and nations.

The role of solar systems is to improve the quality of life in rural areas that are not electrified. Many of these solar installations provide important services such as lighting and charging of various devices. Meanwhile, when the installations are finished, there is a large risk that maintenance is not carried out properly. This situation can leave an otherwise well- functioning system unusable. A key problem is that there are not enough trained technicians that can maintain and repair the system locally. One reason for this is the lack of practical education in many developing countries. As girls are educated, the nation is educated.

How to have more girls in solar field and how to do it?

Here are some answers: teach them the skills they will need, give them role models,  encourage them, and show them that a career in solar will help them to change their community for the better. With these measures, it will be important to monitor and evaluate the quality and need of programs. It is important that the training of girls should focus on both the technical aspects as well as engaging community. When girls are educated, inspired and empowered they bring change in the community.

Marie Danielle Fendji Ph.D,

Remote Energy Instructor Small DC PV System Labs

Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Buea - Cameroon