Hi everyone! We are very excited that we are less than a month away from our trip to Ethiopia for our field test. However, these following weeks will be quite hectic as we plan the last details of the trip. During this adventure, DC Opportunities will travel to a small village in the province of Tigray where access to electricity is nonexistent. These are the tasks we want to perform once we are there:
1. Implement our Solar Home System: for the past year we have been designing and building prototypes of our very own SHS tailored for rural areas. We want to install solar charging stations in various points of the village, we will also provide power-banks and lights for locals to be able to bring electricity home.
2. Collaborate with the Mek'ele Institute of Technology: counting with the support of locals is essential for a successful pilot test, we need to understand the local social dynamic as well as help with the language barrier. We have been collaborating with this entity for over a year now with Ethiopian students being part of our project. We will meet with them to discuss how we can collaborate with the new batch of students.
3. Finding local partners: having a strong network is a key element to success. Therefore, we are visiting some other entities that are interested in collaborating to create bonds.
4. Data & feedback collection: given that the project is still young and that this is the first time that the SHS are implemented in their intended target environment, one of the main outcomes will be to collect data in terms of consumption habits and receiving feedback from local users.
Overall, we expect to learn very valuable lessons and to soak up the Ethiopian culture!
