A nonprofit organization, entitled All We Are, started by engineering students at the University of Cincinnati, is bringing solar power to schools across Uganda. Nathan Thomas founded the charity while he was an undergraduate student at the university. On a trip to Uganda, he found that 80 percent of rural Uganda does has limited access to electricity.
The foundation is funded by various Rotary Clubs. The original funding for the organization was a $2,000 check from the Rotary Club of Cincinnati which Thomas used to install solar panels at a school and a women’s shelter in Uganda. Today, the annual budget for the charity is $75,000. Since the nonprofit’s founding, volunteers have installed solar energy systems in 18 schools across Uganda and plans to complete installations at 50 schools by 2025.
The group has partnered with electrical installation experts in Uganda to buy products and oversee installation projects. In addition to enhancing schools, All We Are plans to build a medical clinic and solar-powered well in the near future.
