The project at Don Bosco Oysterbay is providing access to quality technical training on renewable energy in Tanzania.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (June 29, 2020) Students who are looking to make a career in renewable energy have an opportunity for education and advancement at Don Bosco Vocational Training Centers in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Iringa in Tanzania.

Don Bosco Oysterbay in Dar es Salaam has been funded through a partnership with Misereor, the German Catholic Bishops’ Organization for Development Cooperation, to help advance training capacity. Building off this work, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation awarded a grant to Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, to fund a similar training initiative at the Don Bosco training centers in Dodoma and Iringa.

This has led to the establishment of training laboratories and the remodeling of the solar and electronic classes and workshops at the centers, as well as the installation of training equipment and furniture and the development and training of instructors on the new syllabus. The projects are contributing to increased access to quality technical training on renewable energy in Tanzania.

Marian Yusuph Said, who is 20 years old and the first born in a family of four children, successfully graduated from secondary education at Makumluma in Dar es Salaam. She could not continue with further studies because her family had no money to pay school fees. Said stayed home for a year helping her mother in the small business of selling fried cassava.

In September 2019, after hearing about a scholarship available, Said started a short course program in solar energy installation at Don Bosco Oysterbay. It had been her dream to become an electrical technician, but before gaining the scholarship, she had no idea how she would make that dream a reality.

After two classes, Said found a real passion for the work. She also came to learn that renewable energy is a growing industry, and there are many jobs available in Tanzania because there are few trained solar technicians. After her training ended, Said secured an internship at Trend Solar, a solar company in Tanzania. Here, Said had access to more field experience in installation of different sized solar home systems. Said is happy for the opportunity to study solar energy installation, and now she can secure employment or choose self-employment to achieve her dreams.

“As the world faces growing environmental degradation and climatic change challenges, there is a need to embrace sustainable development more than ever before,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “This has led to a need for leaders and practitioners of technical and vocational education and training to improve their understanding and implementation of education for sustainable development using a whole-institution approach to greening their institutions. These training programs in Tanzania provide a real opportunity for students to gain an education in a growing and much-needed field of study.”

In Tanzania, 67.9 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. While the country has seen some economic growth in tourism, mining, trade and communication, the number of Tanzanians living below the poverty line has marginally increased due to rapid population growth. In some regions, up to half of the population struggles to meet the cost of essential food and shelter and other basic necessities like clothing, health care and education.

###

Contact: [email protected]