Bright Minds, No Lights, Help Power Refugee Students’ Future

Growing up and studying in a refugee settlement in Uganda, I learned to study by the dim glow of a mobile phone torch or flickering candles. Without access to the electricity grid, each evening felt like a race against darkness, made harder by the constant shortage of fuel for lamps. These were the conditions I faced in high school, and sadly, many students in that same settlement still face them today.

Now, as a student at Columbia University's Climate School, I’m raising $1,000 to provide solar panels and reliable WiFi to light up and deliver a reliable power supply to the next generation of refugee students in the community I once called home. With this simple but powerful investment, we can offer them what I never had—stable access to electricity and the internet. This will allow them to apply for scholarships, enroll in online courses, search for jobs, and connect with the wider world, empowering them to build a future beyond survival.

The Installation and maintenance of the solar panels and WiFi will be managed by Dongriin Foundation, a non-profit refugee-led organization that I co-founded in 2019, aimed at providing high-quality education (SDG 4), empowering the community, and promoting environmental stewardship to refugees and their surrounding host community in Northern Uganda.

Photo showing the Dongriin Foundation learning center where youth gather to craft their applications and access online materials. Source: Dongriin Foundation.

At this learning center, eager learners—both youths from the refugee and host communities — gather daily to pursue

online scholarships, job postings, virtual workshops, and free courses on platforms like Coursera and edX, as well as study. However, they miss deadlines, struggle to develop digital skills, and watch opportunities slip away because they lack a power supply and a stable internet connection.

Looking back at my journey, I recall the frustration of seeing opportunities hindered by limited power and internet access for so many youths with great potential. With your help, we can remove these barriers by providing solar panels and WiFi.

Why This Matters

Digital Inclusion: Scholarships, internships, and networking events today are almost entirely online. Lack of power for these people means exclusion from a world of resources.

Equal Opportunity: These students have talent and drive; all they need is reliable energy and connectivity to compete.

Sustainable Impact: Solar power is clean, renewable, and low-maintenance, enabling them to charge their phones and other gadgets for learning, research, and collaboration.

How You Can Help

Donate: Every dollar brings us closer to light and limitless opportunity for these people.

Share: Spread the word—your network could contain the champions who believe in these students.

Budget Breakdown

1. Solar Panels: $400

2. WiFi & Data: $400

3. Installation and Transportation: 200

Your generous contributions will empower those living on the margins, restoring their hope and granting them access to invaluable resources. Together, we can help them dream once more.