LocationsYouth in sustainable energy receive tools to launch careers
July 5, 2024
Sobahle Dlamini all smiles after receiving her starter kit from the UNDP-supported Youth Leadership and Sustainable Energy Academy.
"It was a transformative experience that opened my eyes to the potential of sustainable energy solutions in addressing community challenges." These are the sentiments of Ncamsile Dlamini, a participant in the Youth Leadership and Sustainable Energy Academy (YLSEA). This programme is a partnership between the University of Eswatini's Centre for Sustainable Energy Research (CSER) and UNDP. It equips unemployed young people from diverse backgrounds with basic skills in Solar PV Systems, solar dehydrators, biogas digesters and entrepreneurship.
Under this partnership, 60 youth have been trained in the last two years – the first cohort of 30 participants in 2022 and the second in 2023. The second cohort, which Dlamini was part of, graduated in November.
Ncamsile Dlamini after receiving her starter kit.
Alongside nine other youth participants she trained with last October, Dlamini has chosen to establish an association dedicated to supplying energy to rural schools using biogas. This is after these young people learnt about generating energy using biogas from the three-week training and realised that some rural schools do not have electricity connections.
"Due to the absence of electricity in certain rural schools, children are compelled to bring firewood to school for cooking," said Dlamini, a resident of a rural community, Nkoneni, in the Shiselweni Region. She highlighted that some students trek over two kilometres to school, making carrying firewood a challenging burden for them.
“Even if the school is connected to electricity, the cost is too high for many rural schools which still forces them to use firewood for cooking,” she said.
A participant received her starter kit from UNESWA Vice Chancellor, Prof. Justice Thwala, CSER Head of Department, Dr Gcina Mavimebela, and UNDP Resident Representative, Nessie Golakai-Gould.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Nessie Golakai-Gould agreed with Dlamini's assessment, highlighting that despite Eswatini's high electricity penetration rate of 85%, there are still areas in the country without access. She further noted that even in areas with electricity, much of it is primarily used for lighting rather than productive purposes.
Eswatini imports 60% of its electricity from neighbouring countries, rendering it unaffordable for poor households in a country where 58.9% of the population lives below the poverty line. The nation predominantly relies on coal-generated electricity, contributing to carbon emissions and exacerbating climate change.
“Renewable energy is touted as one of the avenues for not only having a green means of lighting and energy for ourselves but also to be able to ensure that we have energy for productive capacity,” said Golakai-Gould.
She spoke on July 04 at the university during the handover of essential tools valued at over E320,000 (USD1,750), to assist participants in launching small businesses or providing them with instruments for employment opportunities.
She added that no country can achieve its development goals without adequate energy, emphasising the necessity for green energy solutions to combat global warming. Additionally, she highlighted the alarming youth unemployment rates in Africa, noting that Eswatini ranks among the countries with the highest, reaching 58% among individuals aged 15 to 35.
“To reverse the trend, we need to do things differently. According to ILO, a green transition is projected to create 8.4 million jobs worldwide,” she said, adding: “Aren’t you happy you’re one of those who stand to benefit from this?”
To support this transition, she stated that UNDP partnered with UNESWA's CSER to develop the training as part of the Empowering Youth and Women with Green Skills for Accelerating NDCs in Eswatini initiative.
“UNDP recognises the critical role of youth and women in advancing the sustainable energy transition and emphasises the importance of involving young people as the key drivers of this change not just as technicians but also as decision-makers,” she said.
Participants at the event
In response, UNESWA Vice Chancellor, Professor Justice Thwala, said UNDP’s support to Eswatini’s youth is commendable adding that the UN agency has supported the university in various projects including supporting the tertiary institution with internet services to ensure continued learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other UNESWA projects UNDP supported include waste management, innovation lab, graduate industry internships.
Speaking to the YLSEA participants, Thwala expressed that the tools and knowledge they have acquired have the potential to position them to become change-makers.
“You have the potential to revolutionize access to clean energy, particularly in underserved communities,” he said.
Semukelo Mabuza, a participant, expressed his intention to utilize the tools at an organization where he plans to volunteer, aiming to further hone his skills and gain valuable experience.