Kaalo Nederland has initiated and successfully delivered a developmental project that
established solar energy and computer labs for five schools. Each of these five schools which are
located in the Nugaal region of Puntland State of Somalia has received a full set of solar energy
tools and computer equipment. These schools are in the villages of Garyaqaan, Uusgure, Eyl,
Sinujiif and Dangorayo.
The set of the solar energy equipment includes 10 solar panels, 8 batteries and two
inverters. Each of the five schools that benefitted from this project has now access to a free solar
power supply that is 24/7 functional.
A fully functional computer lab has also been set up for each of the abovementioned five
schools. Ten computers and the necessary furniture for a computer lab have been placed in a
separate room for each school. Two technicians, one for the solar energy and for the computer
lab have also been trained for each one of these schools to maintain the safety and the proper use
of the equipment.
The availability of free solar energy and computer labs is immensely improving the
quality of education in these schools. The children in these five villages are not only able to
come back to school at night to take revision lessons, but they are also getting their hands on
modern technological gadgets such as computers that they only heard of before. For these
children and many other generations to come, digital illiteracy will be a thing of the past.
The solar energy equipment that Kaalo Nederland has installed on the schools in the five
villages listed above, which is a European standard has a guarantee of 15 years. This means, if
properly maintained and handled with the required care, the equipment will last and be fully
functional for at least fifteen years to come. This also means children who are yet to be born can
benefit from this equipment a decade or so later.
The installation of the solar energy and the establishment of the computer labs was the
second phase of this project. A similar project that supplied the same tools with four schools was
implemented in 2021. This second phase of the solar installation and computer lab establishment
project is not the end. A third phase which will benefit six more schools is now in the pipeline
and it is expected to implemented in the middle of 2023.
