Renewable Energy & Entrepreneurship training for Dustbin Estate Youth (Lagos-Nigeria)

Solar Jooce has held an empowerment workshop for 10 youth from Dustbin Estate (Ajegunle community of Lagos state, Nigeria).

Day 1 of the Youth workshop, titled ‘Introduction to Renewable Energy (RE) and Entrepreneurship’, kicked off on 29th August 2014, at Solar Jooce offices in Lagos.

The objective of the workshop is five-fold:

1. To create awareness of affordable alternative sources of power (fostering knowledge of RE and all its benefits);

2. To unlock indigenous development potential i. e. encourage the Dustbin Estate community (particularly females) to adopt, and creatively utilise RE as an empowerment vehicle;

3. To positively impact communities by developing individual entrepreneurial skills with a view to these individuals establishing startup ventures in the RE field;

4. To engage Dustbin Estate Youth in a larger, long-term vision: transformation of Dustbin Estate into new improved, environmentally friendly modular homes – and for the youths to be active participants in integrating RE into the mobile homes;

5. For the Youth to become change agents that adopt, embrace and drive the concept of mass access to affordable renewable energy in their communities;

On Day 1of the workshop, Engineer Bassey Etuk and Dave Agbakoba (Solar Jooce CEO) spoke to workshop participants on the difference between Alternate Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC); the various parts of a basic solar unit (using an acutal portable solar generator); the correct orientation of solar panels; the role of charge controllers; various Renewable Energy applications, and so on.

The children were also taught the basic principles of entrepreneurship.

Day 2 of the workshop (30th August, 2014) holds at Dustbin Estate, and involves the practical installation of a basic solar generator, which consists of a solar panel, battery, LED light bulb, a fluorescent tube, table fan, built-in FM radio, phone charging kit, USB outlets, and an SD card slot.

At the end of the August workshop, youths will participate in an entrepreneurship competition, whose results will be judged by representatives from the Heinrich Böll Foundation (Nigeria) and the United Nations Habitat (Kenya).

The children will work in teams of 2 to produce ideas on how to launch (and sustain) a viable startup venture with a portable solar generator.

The team with the best submission will win a portable solar generator (and all its accessories), to help pursue their winning idea.

The 'Mayor' of Dustbin Estate - Tolulope Sangosanya - brilliantly co-ordinated participating members of the community.