Road to 50 Installations

As we celebrate the commissioning of our 50th solar installation - a significant milestone in our organization’s history- join us for an inside look at how these installations take shape. Six years in, our teams are capable and confident in carrying out our work. This allowed us to complete 15 installations in just five weeks.

Expedition

Every installation starts with picking up components. Our in-country team takes the finalized design plans and begins procurement. We purchase high-quality solar components from vetted vendors in Kampala, ensuring that we are investing in the local economy and creating lasting supplier relationships. Once the truck is loaded, our team makes its journey to our partner institutions to deliver components and prepare for the installation.

Connection

All fifteen installations were completed in Butambala District – an area that we have worked in since 2019. We made a commitment to continue to develop this area through partnerships with additional schools and health centers. Butambala is roughly 100 km away from Kampala and is home to many rural schools and health centers with unreliable access to electricity. We have established relationships with many local government officials, village elders, and project beneficiaries in this community and it was such an honor to complete our 50th installation amongst these friends.

Installation

Each installation takes roughly a week; five days for installation and the sixth day for training and testing. We train an on-site Solar User Committee for maintenance and safe system use, to ensure the longevity of our systems. Our expert team of electricians completed these 15 installations in record time. We had three teams, each working at a different installation site, which allowed us to be more efficient and test our ability to scale our operations.

Celebration

In 2015, we made the claim that we would complete 50 installations by 2025. This was in the infancy of our SUN program and we had a lot to learn to make this dream a reality. Thanks to our supporters, team, and community partners we were able to complete this goal three years before schedule. To celebrate this achievement, we hosted a ribbon-cutting at our 50th installation inviting our team, Rotary partners, and other stakeholders to attend.

Appreciation

Since launching our solar program six years ago we’ve seen tremendous growth in our technical teams. We have full confidence in our Chief Country Officer, Brian Ddibya, and the team that he has surrounded himself with. We are honored to continue to foster the expansion of our work and the development of high-quality jobs for young professionals in Uganda.

We want to say THANK YOU to our supporters, team, mentors, and partners for making these 50 installations happen! Without you, none of this is possible. We are so excited for our continued vision to bring access to energy to Ugandan communities in need. Here’s to the next 50!