The Solar Learning Ethiopia project has been a springboard out of unemployment for hundreds of young people in recent years. Habte Sitotaw (23) has also taken advantage of this opportunity.
In close cooperation with our partner organizations in Ethiopia, we have trained around 500 young people in the sale, installation and maintenance of solar systems over the past five years. Almost 400 of the trained solar specialists are now working in the Ethiopian solar industry as employees or small business owners.
One of them is Habte Sitotaw (23) from Bahir Dar, the capital of the regional state of Amhara. “After I finished the 10th grade, I was unemployed. But my family was dependent on my help,” said Habte. In 2020, he seized his opportunity: he applied for the Solar Learning program and was offered an apprenticeship.
Since 2018, the trainee solar specialists have installed a total of 15 solar systems at schools and health centers as part of their training. This has enabled them to put what they have learned into practice and hone their skills. At the same time, these installations helped to improve learning conditions (lighting, printers, computers) at remote schools and treatment facilities at rural health centers.
In addition, the trainees installed more than 7,000 small solar systems in remote households, giving over 40,000 people access to light and electricity for charging small electrical devices such as radios and cell phones.
“I gained skills with Solar Learning that boosted my confidence,” said Habte Sitotaw. After his training, he set up a successful repair service for solar systems and other electronic devices. “I can now pay the bill for our house rent and other expenses.”
