Spreading Solar Power in Uganda

The Republic of Uganda, located in East Africa, doesn't have much electricity with which to rely upon. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (as stated in this Business Wire release), "approximately only 20 percent of urban areas, and 4 percent of rural areas in Uganda are supplied with electricity."

Uganda's energy infrastructure may be lacking, but one thing the country located at the equatorial line does have in greater supply is sunlight. That's why Kyocera Corporation stepped in, with an announcement that it's "donating and installing solar power generating systems to 15 schools in the Republic of Uganda over the next five years." Three elementary and middle schools in the country have already benefited, as installations took place in September.

According to the release, Uganda's adult literacy rate is 66.8 percent, highlighting the importance of education and, therefore, the urgency of providing power to schools, so they can use items such as TVs, radios or computers as teaching aids.

Knowing the need for alternative power sources, in July 2007, Professor Ephraim Kamuntu, the Minister of State for Industry of Uganda, took a tour of Kyocera's Sakura Solar Energy Center. Apparently impressed, more than a year later, Kamuntu sent a couple of Ugandan research students to the center in Chiba, Japan, so they could be trained in solar power.

Ideally, those students will bring back a wealth of knowledge in solar power and can use it to spread the technology throughout the country. With Kyocera's help, it's off to a promising start.

Photo courtesy of Business Wire