Wrap Up of Mission 1

This post will just summarize our work in our first visit to Uganda. We began working on the solar utility node in March 2013 by prototyping in Duke's engineering labs. By the end of May we had a circuit that could distribute solar power and make measurements on solar output and battery charge status. 

I (Julian) was in Uganda for 6 weeks and Lydia was there for 12 weeks. We were deployed in Lwemodde in the southern district of Rakai. The youth group who took on our business was comprised of local people who all shared a common interest for electronics. Some were builders and some were farmers. They were all very friendly people who had a great sense of community. They had log books of transactions for their phone charging and repair business as well as a written constitution. It was very enjoyable to work with them.

By the end of our time there they had two netbooks at their shop used to provide internet and computer training to the locals. Additionally they oversaw the operation of a solar power grid in a fishing village called Malembo. This grid used two 100 W solar panels to distribute 12 V DC to power LED lights to shops and houses. Additionally they could provide phone charging services at the power station.

It was tremendous fun to set up power lines and make connections in peoples houses. There was a very high demand for lighting in the village which proved that this was going to be a sustainable business. Working in Uganda was all about making robust systems which were intuitively accessible to people. The people from the youth group loved to learn things. Some of them would read the text book we wrote for hours and hours to try and understand electrical theory as thoroughly as possible. There was a lack of resources but given the chance these villagers were very responsive. Having our book translated into Lugandan was a key.

Retrospectively this was a very enriching experience and something I would recommend any engineer to do. I learnt a great deal and really solidified concepts from the classroom in a way that on campus work could never achieve. Power engineering involved lots of solutions to little challenges. I hope to return very soon to see how it has all progressed.