The DREEM Project is funded by the C.S. Mott Foundation, which aims to increase the distribution and use of solar energy, especially for productive use in rural Tanzania.
The project started in 2018 and had several interventions, including Skills Development, Enterprise Incubation, Renewable Energy Financing, Innovation, and Policy Intervention, executed through multi-stakeholder partnerships, and now in phase III, which started in Jan 2024.
The global awareness increment on the green revolution and the transition towards deployment of renewable energy solutions leads to a growing demand for skilled workforce in the energy sector. In Tanzania, the great relevance of distributed renewable energy solutions offers new employment and income opportunities for Youths, who are the majority group.
To address the gap above, the DREEM Project Phase I & II, which took place from 2018-2023, trained several Youths to become solar technicians for installation and maintenance of solar systems, and some were incubated for BDS training and business formalization. The aspect of Youth Empowerment was pivotal to this project, whereby two interventions (Skills Development & Enterprise Incubation) had its focus on the Youths.
Through the DREEM partners, IMED Foundation, Don Bosco, Elico Foundation, TAMFI, and Fraxen Consult, by 2023, over 500 Youths were practically trained on solar installation and maintenance, over 120 Youths were incubated at the Tanzania Renewable Energy Business Incubation Center (TAREBI) at least 15 Youths were able to find upskilled jobs in the solar industry, the Don Bosco TVET centers in Iringa & Dodoma were enhanced capacity through various training and TOTs and a solar curriculum was developed and now under implementation.
There are nearly three billion youth in the world, of which the highest numbers live in the regions with the greatest energy needs. Sixty percent of Africans are under 25, making it the youngest continent in the world. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the lowest rates of clean energy, 20 percent of the population is between 15 and 24. Many of these young Africans have grown up without reliable electricity. They know fully well how critical clean energy access is to address both the climate crisis and social development issues. The Youths are poised to join the energy revolution; it is up to us, and the rest of the world to include them.
Fraxen Consult Ltd and Amshaamsha Foundation continue to engage Youths and women in their daily activities, to address and create awareness of renewable energy solutions, and climate change issues.