Experts connecting solar energy to homes in Donga Mantung Division
A ground-breaking initiative has brought hope and empowerment to thousands of families in Donga Mantung Division, Cameroon. The Clean Energy for All Initiative, spearheaded by Hope for a Better Future (H4BF) and supported by Youth4Climate (UNDP Italy) and Jac Trust, has introduced sustainable energy solutions that have transformed communities, improved economic opportunities, and fostered environmental sustainability.
The initiative has established solar solution centres, providing training programmes and promoting clean energy alternatives. This has empowered individuals, particularly women and youth, to become champions of clean energy and sustainable development.
In Donga Mantung Division, access to clean and affordable energy was limited, with most households relying on wood fuels and kerosene for cooking and lighting. These traditional energy sources have severe environmental and health implications.
The project’s core strategy revolves around engaging, inspiring, empowering, and connecting communities. Solar solution centres have been created, serving as hubs for distributing solar lamps, and energy-efficient stoves, and providing phone charging services.
Community engagement has been at the heart of the project, with innovative activities designed to raise awareness about clean energy. Through radio programmes, community football matches, and social media campaigns, the project reached over 10,000 people across the region.
The initiative has also focused on empowering female entrepreneurs. Five women underwent intensive training on solar energy installation, maintenance, and business management, equipping them with the skills to become local distributors of solar products.
These entrepreneurs have become key change-makers in their communities, directly contributing to the adoption of clean energy. In just six months, they sold 1,508 solar lamps and 398 energy-efficient stoves, generating 8,462,000 CFA in revenue.
The project has also introduced solar food preservation technology to local farmers, significantly reducing post-harvest losses. Over 2,000 kilogrammes of produce have been preserved using solar-powered food dryers, resulting in a total income of 200,000 CFA.
The environmental impact of the initiative has been profound, reducing 10 metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually. The introduction of eco-friendly charcoal production from farm waste has also helped reduce deforestation.
The project has had a significant impact on the health and well-being of community members. Adopting solar lamps and energy-efficient stoves has reduced respiratory illnesses by 30%.
As the Clean Energy for All Initiative continues to grow, H4BF plans to expand its impact by training additional entrepreneurs and scaling the solar solution centres to more regions across Cameroon.
