From beneficiary to community leader : capacity building through a renewable energy project in Rwanda

Abstract

This paper describes a strategy to build community capacity to address the challenge of SDG#7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) through an international student service-learning programme. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University partnered with an NGO in Rwanda in a four-year collaborative effort to electrify a semi-rural village in Rwanda with solar power. For sustainability, we developed a three-tier capacity building model that combined efforts from university students (who provide the technical expertise), strengths and expertise of a partnering local NGO (who had previously developed a community support infrastructure in the form of strong self-help groups), and community commitment and support (who provide the manpower initially and subsequently acquired the technical capacity).