Lighting the Path to Education:
Sol-Ark® Powers the First STEM K-12
School in Ethiopia
At over 9,000 feet in elevation, nestled in the highlands of Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, a school called Wogagen — meaning “The First Light of the Day” — is doing something revolutionary: it’s using solar power to change lives.
In partnership with Twende Solar and The Community Project: Ethiopia, Sol-Ark donated an inverter to support an off-grid solar installation at this remarkable school, bringing reliable, clean electricity to a region where access to consistent power has long been out of reach.
But this project is about far more than energy.
A School that Teaches More Than Curriculum
Wogagen isn’t just any school — it’s Ethiopia’s first public K-12 STEM academy, currently serving 280 students and poised to expand to over 1,000. The school now has the power to run projectors, lights for microscopes, computers, and power tools, sewing machines and a small robotics lab, fundamentally changing how students learn and how teachers teach.
And in the evenings, the lights stay on — enabling after-hours classes and programs that serve the surrounding Chole Village community of 4,000 residents. For a region that has endured civil conflict and rolling curfews, this kind of access means stability, continuity, and hope.
Building Technicians, Not Just Classrooms
Thanks to this installation, Wogagen has become more than a school – it’s also a training ground.
Through a “Training of Trainers” initiative led by Ethiopian engineer Gizaw Tilaye, 16 electrical trainers from polytechnic colleges across the Sidama and Amhara regions are now gaining hands-on experience with solar installation and maintenance. These future leaders are learning directly on the Sol-Ark inverter and Rolls Battery systems that power the school.
This initiative is creating the next generation of local solar technicians – ensuring that the impact of this project ripples across the country and lasts for decades.
A Community Effort, A Global Commitment
The project was community-led from the start, guided by input from village leaders, the mayor, and the Ministry of Education. Local involvement has ensured long-term support, while donations from global partners — including Sol-Ark, Rolls Battery Engineering, Heliene, and others — made the vision possible.
Wogagen’s campus includes a community farm, composting toilets, a bamboo research nursery, and a hand-press brick factory. The school isn’t just educating — it’s creating jobs, building skills, and fostering economic growth. The new solar system powers it all, replacing a noisy, fuel-hungry diesel generator and eliminating the burden of unpredictable energy costs.
Why Sol-Ark Stepped In
At Sol-Ark, we believe energy access should be a right, not a privilege. That’s why we proudly contributed to this project — because real change happens when power isn’t just a product, but a purpose.
We’re honored to support Twende Solar’s #GiveaWatt initiative and help light the way for Wogagen’s students, teachers, and technicians. When communities have power, they have opportunity. And when they have opportunity, they thrive.
