By Sunday Ani
A non-governmental organisation, Girls Inspired Foundation, has given a boost to the campaign against climate change through the use of renewable energy, with its recent training of some secondary school girls in Lagos State in solar energy installation.
At the graduation held recently in Yaba, Lagos State, the foundation’s programme manager, Bukola Adeboye, said about 11 girls selected from four secondary schools in the state were taken through a one-week training on how to install solar systems in homes, schools, institutions and churches, among other places.
The programme, tagged “Solar Girl Project,” according to Adeboye, was all about advocacy and training in renewable energy, with particular interest in solar installation: “We are training young girls in solar installation, which is also a form of renewable energy; we are trying to promote climate change by doing so,” she noted.
She said the project was also driven by the realisation that the number of girls in the renewable sector was low as it was male-dominated. “So, we want to start building more girls to be conscious of their environment and to know that they can actually excel in this sector like their male counterparts.”
We also want them to start up something different from what they have been taught in school and that is why we are teaching them solar installations and repairs. And so far, the girls have done well,” she added.
She said the Foundation has made arrangements to set up a Solar Girl Club afterward because one week might not be enough for the girls to know all that is required for solar installation.
On the arrangement to establish the girls afterwards, she said the Foundation would only continue the mentorship since the girls were still in school, but noted that their partner, Power Tech Solar Energy Limited, has plans to give the girls internship opportunities after their secondary school. “And from our observations, most of them are interested in an internship with our partner after secondary school. Some of the girls are still in junior class. Basically, the beneficiaries are from the SS1 and JSS3 classes,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries, 14-year-old Muyibi Fatia is a JSS 3 student of Aje Comprehensive Junior High School. She said she has learnt about photovoltaic systems (PVS), which is a system that converts sunlight into electricity. The PVS consists of solar panel, battery, inverter and the charge controller.
She described the training as nice, interesting and full of fun. “I have not heard about PVS before but my coming here has made me know much about it. I have never dreamt of being a science student but with this training now, I can assure you that I will be a science student when I get to senior class,” she said.
Another beneficiary is a 12-year-old Adebanjo Olajumoke, who is also in JSS 3, but from a different school, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Junior High School, Sabo Yaba.
She also said she has learnt much about solar panels, battery, inverter and charge controllers and how to connect them together to generate electricity.