Jeff Shaw shares his experience delivering solar electricity training in Uganda – 30 Sep 2017

Earlier this month, board member Jeff Shaw collaborated with another locally run organization in Uganda to deliver solar electricity training sessions to 26 adult students, including 1 Wamuksia team member and 2 young men from families who work with Wamukisa. Jeff shares his experiences:

In September of 2017, I participated with a team dedicated to teaching solar electricity generation to a group of Ugandans eager to bring light and power to their neighbors.  My responsibility was to lead classroom training of fundamentals to couple with teams training the installation of a working solar electric system to power a vocational school, and with field exploration of bringing solar electricity to impoverished villages in the bush.

I most remember meeting the adult students, 26 in number though I had expected the training would be of 13.  Their capabilities, focus, and willingness to learn and to share learning were striking.  Sure, the knowledge they hoped to get would enhance their employment opportunities in a growing field.  But their primary clear motivation was to better the lives of their neighbors.  At the end of the training, the newly-installed solar electric system worked, carrying electricity into a vocational classroom.  Under the light from two fluorescent light bulbs, as the sun set we conducted a graduation ceremony for this hard working group.  Let there be light!  The most important lesson that we taught was not technical.  Rather, by showing the commitment to carry knowledge 10,000 miles to Uganda, we demonstrated the power and possibilities of cooperation among people who love other people.