Solar Energy Training as Development Aid

The United States, being a world superpower and all, has taken an interest in the development and stabilization of the global community. Our foreign aid approach to has always been providing humanitarian assistance to improve the health of vulnerable populations. For better or for worse, America has attempted to show struggling nations how to advance their economy and establish a solid foundation of civic systems.

Coupled with foreign aid, America plays a significant role in international development by contributing human and financial capital to develop the infrastructure, education and entrepreneurship that can strengthen the economic durability of our foreign allies. The global community has acknowledged the importance to combine humanitarian and economic aid into the integrated approach of sustainable development. That's why the UN established the sustainable devleopment goals as a set of guiding principles for implementing holistic strategies in developing regions.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) who facilitates the deployment of both foreign aid and development, works under an annual budget of $20 billion with an additional $38 billion for foreign financial assistance. The agency focuses on establishing the most basic amenities of clean water and electricity. With 1.5 billion people around the world without access to an electrical grid, nations, NGO’s and corporate partners are realizing the enormous potential that solar energy can have in empowering off-grid communities to take charge of their own sustainable development.

USAID has formed the Beyond the Grid initiative that deploys solar energy systems and trains local workers how to install them. Bringing light and electricity to impoverished and disconnected areas can have a catalytic effect on communities striving to accelerate their sustainable development.

Providing solar energy to communities and households that never had electricity before has proven to be transformative. Having an independent source of clean electricity frees rural populations from having to purchase kerosene for light and cooking fuel. Burning fossil fuels like kerosene inside homes creates irritating smoke, health problems and accidental fires. Despite the risk from using these fossil fuels, for decades they were the only way to attain such nominal levels of “reliable” power.

Solar energy provides virtually free electricity that can be consumed on-site or sold to the grid to produce an extra source of income. Although kerosene provided some light it was often inadequate. With sophisticated electric lanterns powered from solar panels children have more time to study at night and parents have more hours to be productive and increase their income. Solar power has cascading benefits for developing communities as it enables for improved health, education, productivity and connectivity.

It’s a good thing that solar energy is enormously abundant in areas where there is some of the greatest need for development assistance. Harnessing the sun to electrify off-grid communities is extremely cost effective and can systematically improve local economies and living conditions. However, these rural energy deficient regions don’t have the skilled workforce to design and install the much needed solar technology. Even in the United States solar energy manufacturing, designing, installing and repairing is just starting to ramp up as the industry matures.

Now a host of governments, NGO’s and private partners are collaborating to capitalize on this opportunity to deploy solar energy training as sustainable development.

One of these innovative initiatives is Barefoot College, based in India the institution trains local often uneducated women how to install and maintain solar power systems. Empowering women with greater gender equity as they gain the ability to get a job, generate income and have a greater societal purpose. After graduating from Barefoot College students can return home and electrify their entire village without external technical assistance. Equipping these rural communities with cheap and convenient energy fosters greater economic activity and connectivity. The training at Barefoot College focuses on entrepreneurship with the mission of enabling students with the knowledge and technical expertise to become laborers, inventors and small business owners.

With the support of Norwegian Church Aid the solar energy workforce development program is gaining international recognition. The neighboring nation of Afghanistan, where only 38% of the country is connected to the grid and has been plagued by conflict and instability for decades, is now participating in this no brainer initiative. After studying at the college Afghan engineers return to set up workshops at home, where they prepare donated or purchased solar systems for installation. In 2005 10 students from Afghanistan went to train at Barefoot College. Now they have returned as master engineers training 84 others across the country’s provinces. This is a beautiful example of a social impact initiative that trains a self-multiplying social enterprise workforce that can extend across developing regions and create exponential value.

A similar program, Solar Sisters, empowers women in Uganda, Nigeria and Tanzania with engineering and business education. Solar Sisters organizes women to train how to design, install and maintain solar energy systems and how to market and manage the related products. The mobile solar energy batteries have outlets to charge both lanterns and cellphones. Solar Sisters has embedded community organizing and educational campaigning into their mission, informing disconnected rural areas about the health benefits and economic prospects of solar energy.

Famed hip-hop & R&B artist Akon has started a similar project called Akon Lighting Africa. Acknowledging the need for energy in remote villages of Africa Akon has organizing funding and human capital to deploy solar power to African towns through solar street lights, micro-generators and home kits. Solar powered street lights can reduce crime, enhance local functions and create an interconnected mini-grid. Adopting the strategies of other workforce development initiatives Akon Lighting Africa established their own training facility named the Solektra Solar Academy. This academy also emphasises entrepreneurship in the hopes of inspiring students to innovate new solutions for creating self-sufficient energy systems in impoverished rural areas. As they build a network of street lights Akon Lighting Africa has the vision of mobilizing the workforce to create an entirely new utility firm exclusively focused on powering rural communities.

These reliable off-grid solar energy systems are especially impactful in areas where there is civil unrest. In Africa and the middle east where there are deep-rooted ethnic and political conflicts that repeatedly create national upheaval, this economic development program can prove to be one of the most effective methods of stabilization. In areas where the U.S. has intervened and disrupted civic systems, deploying solar energy training programs can have wondrous effects on restoring civic systems and enabling for economic mobility. The U.S. has a history of resorting to military action to eradicate and then reinstate governance. I would argue that these solar energy workforce development programs should be activated alongside other traditional efforts to rebuild. America can practically install peace and stability, which we’ve seemingly failed at doing, through renewable energy and its resulting economic and social empowerment.

If western powers compliment their military force with sustainable economic development and self-enabling programs, poor areas whether in cities or remote villages can have a greater ability to be educated, productive and secure.These peaceful programs can even lead to renewed perception of the west - as one who supports the well being and economic stability of struggling regions. Instead of being labeled as drone-deploying destructive actors, we can rebrand ourselves as being a peaceful and enriching partner seeking to empower the marginalized communities. Rather than wasting $43 million on an unused and ill conceived gas station in Afghanistan, how much more of a positive impact would that money have if it was used to electrify poor unstable communities. Our entire intention in both Iraq and Afghanistan is to stabilize civic systems and improve economic durability - we could of actually progressed toward that goal and had a lasting effect if we

deployed that $43 million, and millions of other wasted dollars, with a wiser and more innovative approach using solar energy.

Making solar energy workforce training programs a primary component of our foreign policy can have rippling effects that systematically builds a foundation for security and thrivability.The U.S. should proactively facilite cross-setor partnerships to scale these programs by donating logistical, procurement and technical support in addition to financial assistance. America needs to position itself as the innovative partner that enables communities to steer towards a more peaceful and prosperous future.