Twende
A visit to Ethiopia and you feel the power of the sun and the beauty of the people. But the people outside the cities are often living in mud huts in locations without access to regular power. The country that is Africa’s only remaining sovereign nation has lots to boast about beyond its culture, nature and a rumored Ark from the The Holy Temple in Jerusalem Ethiopian students are getting a little help from some American friends:
In the Twende Solar and The Community Project: Ethiopia, the American solar energy systems manufacturer Sol-Ark has helped power a brighter future for students and families in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, providing them with solar inverter systems for the country’s first public K-12 STEM academy.
Twende solar in Ethiopia
Situated at over 9,000 feet in the highlands of Ethiopia, and about a 3 hour drive from Addis, Wogagen School, meaning “The First Light of the Day” now runs on clean, reliable solar energy. For the first time, 280 students and their teachers have access to consistent power to operate projectors, computers, lab equipment, and vocational tools.
Related: Green Prophet visited this eco-paradise in Ethiopia
With capacity to grow to over 1,000 students, Wogagen is lighting the path toward educational equity. The benefits go beyond the classroom. Evening power allows the school to host after-hours programs for the surrounding Chole Village, serving over 4,000 residents.
Debre Birham in Ethiopia/Wikipedia
In a region challenged by civil conflict which can erupt day by day, and energy insecurity, the new solar infrastructure offers stability, security, and hope.
Twende solar, Ethiopia
As part of a Training of Trainers program led by Ethiopian engineer Gizaw Tilaye, 16 instructors from regional polytechnic colleges are learning hands-on solar installation and maintenance on-site using Sol-Ark inverters and Rolls Battery systems. These educators will return to their regions equipped to train the next generation of solar technicians.
The initiative was designed with direct input from village elders, the mayor, and the Ministry of Education, ensuring long-term viability and community ownership. Other partners including Rolls Battery Engineering and Heliene, joined Sol-Ark in donating equipment and resources.
The Wogagen campus also includes compost toilets, a bamboo nursery (learn here about building with bamboo), a community farm, and a brick-making facility – all powered by the solar system that replaced a diesel generator and freed the community from the burden of fuel dependency. Diesel is expensive, noisy and polluting.
::SolarArk
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]
