In the Tanzanian village of Miyuyu which has a community of about 1,000 people, the many remote buildings lack grid electricity. A program for young people to become solar engineers has been set up which is giving the village a bright future.
The program was developed by WWF and partners and is called Leading the Charge (LTC), which aims to increase access to renewable, affordable energy throughout the rural regions of Tanzania.
In villages like Miyuyu, residents must either travel long distances to acquire firewood or use expensive generators for power sources. The local youth are being trained to install and maintain solar power systems. So far 20 students have been trained since 2019.
Reliable methods for cooking and lighting homes and businesses are being provided through the LTC program. Daily life in the village has been transformed by enabling shops, a school, and the central village market to stay open past dark through the extension of business hours. It has also improved access to global news and entertainment as well as enabled livelihoods to diversify. The members of the community, and in particular women, have been empowered.
