Building the next generation of solar Technicians
Not Just Classrooms
At over 9,000 feet in elevation, nestled in the highlands of Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, a school called Wogagen – meaning “The First Light of the Day” – is doing something revolutionary: it’s using solar power to change lives.
In partnership with Twende Solar and The Community Project: Ethiopia, Sol-Ark® donated an inverter to support an off-grid solar installation at this remarkable school, bringing reliable, clean electricity to a region where access to consistent power has long been out of reach. But this project is about far more than energy.
A Community Effort &
A Global Commitment
Wogagen isn’t just any school. It’s Ethiopia’s first public K-12 STEM academy, currently serving 280 students and poised to expand to over 1,000.
The school now has the power to run projectors, lights for microscopes, computers, and power tools, sewing machines and a small robotics lab, fundamentally changing how students learn and how teachers teach.
And in the evenings, the lights stay on. After-hours classes and programs serve the surrounding Chole Village community of 4,000 residents. This kind of access means stability, continuity, and hope.
https://vimeo.com/1083946401
more than just education – A new community hope
The project was community-led from the start, guided by input from village leaders, the mayor, and the Ministry of Education. Local involvement has ensured long-term support, while donations from global partners, including Sol-Ark, Rolls Battery Engineering, Heliene, and others, made the vision possible.
Wogagen’s campus includes a community farm, composting toilets, a bamboo research nursery, and a hand-press brick factory. The school isn’t just educating; it’s creating jobs, building skills, and fostering economic growth.
The new solar energy system powers it all, replacing a noisy, fuel-hungry diesel generator and eliminating the burden of unpredictable energy costs.
