Nordic Folkecenter for Sustainable Energy in Thy and two NGOs in Uganda are collaborating to increase climate resilience in northwestern Uganda. The project is supported by Civil Society in Development (CISU), and currently a young engineer from Joint Energy and Environment Projects in Uganda is on a training stay in Thy to learn how to construct wind turbine blades, generators, pv cells and LED lamps.
In the northwestern corner of Uganda, the district of Nebbi is wedged between Lake Albert on one side and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the other. Like so many other areas of Uganda, access to electricity is very limited in Nebbi. This is one of the reasons why Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, the Uganda folkecenter Joint Energy and Environment Projects (JEEP) and the Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development (UCSD) have teamed up on a project to spread renewable energy solutions in the area. Currently engineer Clive Zeus Misagga from JEEP is on a training stay in Thy as part of the project.
– I am here to learn how to construct and maintain low wind turbines, pv cells and LED light installations. LED lights are cheap and energy-efficient technology that can be relatively easily rolled out in schools and health clinics in Uganda, says Clive Zeus Misagga.
Energy necessary for development
JEEP and Nordic Folkecenter have both existed for 40 years, and have collaborated on a number of development projects.
– Energy is a necessity for the development of a country and its population. That’s why we work to build knowledge and education, and with the help of the many volunteers and funds from private and public sources, such as CISU, we can take on that task, says Jane Kruse, director of the Nordic Folkecenter for Sustainable Energy.
Cheap technology
When Clive Zeus Misagga returns home to Uganda in mid-August, he will start spreading the knowledge he has gained in Denmark.
– Initially, I have to train the interns and other young people we have at JEEP in how to make optimal LED lighting, wind turbine blades, generators and pv installations. Then they can go out and train more people who can do the same, and in that way create a chain reaction that can spread that knowledge, says Clive Zeus Misagga.
The key to success is that the technology and the parts to be used are cheap and available in Uganda.
– In the turbine I have built here at Folkecenter, the generator part is taken from a defective hoverboard, and the LED bulbs are soldered together in lamps constructed of wood. These are all cheap parts that are available in Uganda, which is important for us to get it widespread, says Clive Zeus Misagga.
The project is called Climate Action for Improved & Sustainable Livelihoods (CAISL) and runs from July this year until December 2024. The project is supported by Civil Society in Development (CISU).