Ester Aims To Share ‘Scout Go Solar’ Knowledge

After attending a ‘Scout Go Solar’ training at the Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland for two weeks, Ester Hilundwa from Scouts of Namibia aims to share her experience with Namibian communities.

Ester (26) was one of the selected two African scouts to attend the training session which she describes as an eye-opening experience and “one that needs to be replicated at home”.

‘Scout Go Solar’ is designed to help create awareness, increase knowledge and develop the skills of children and young people with regard to solar energy.

It aims to help group teachers and scout leaders to identify, plan, prepare for and realise solar training opportunities.

“During the two weeks, we were trained on how to install and use solar appliances such as solar cookers and we also designed solar fun art for children.”

Now back home, Ester aims to share what she has learnt. “Next month, we will be doing solar workshops in communities and promoting the use of solar energy in homes.”

Ester sees the opportunity to be great in a Namibian context making reference to the sun the country has for most of the year. “We enjoy so many days of sunlight and we could use this energy and avoid paying high electricity prices. Plus, every country is going green so we also need to start promoting the move.”

Ester anticipates that during the community workshops, young people will get the opportunity to enjoy what the sun can do and that they could use free energy to their advantage.

As solar energy is available everywhere in the world, and as solar solutions are possible both in high and low-tech countries, everyone can benefit from it.

Ester asserts that people need to get in touch with solar energy in order to become sensitised to it.

With the high prices of solar appliances locally, Ester however also hopes that the community workshops will in a way help in sensitising the government to the need of subsidising the costs involved.

Participants of the training agreed to act as ‘Solar Ambassadors’ by spreading their solar know-how in their countries through various activities, be it as group leaders or via institutional multiplication. This by default made Ester the ambassador in Namibia.

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