LocationsA Light on the Hill: How Solar Power Is Transforming a School into the Heart of a Village
May 17, 2026
UNDP Afghanistan
For many people, electricity and light are everyday comforts. They are so familiar that we rarely pause to consider how essential energy is for our health, education, and future opportunities.
In Afghanistan, however, electricity remains intermittent and unaffordable for much of the population. In many rural areas, villages are left in complete darkness once the sun sets, relying on the same lighting methods used more than a century ago.
For schools, this lack of reliable electricity can be especially harmful. Limited lighting reduces learning hours, weakens educational outcomes, and restricts students’ future prospects.
UNDP Afghanistan
A school above the valley
On a hill overlooking Sabarabad village in Alishang district of Laghman province, a small school stands above a wide valley of farmland, stone houses, and rugged mountains. From this vantage point, nearly the entire village is visible below.
The school itself is modest. Four classrooms serve around 250 students, many of whom attend lessons outdoors due to limited space. Yet a significant transformation began when a solar energy system was installed at the school.
As evening falls and the sun disappears behind the mountains, lights from the school now shine across the valley. For villagers living without electricity, the illuminated school has become a natural gathering place.
Farmers arrive after long days in the fields. Children play in the compound. Neighbours sit together and talk.
What began as an effort to improve education through renewable energy has quietly turned the school into a social centre for the community.
“The school is the place where people meet now,” explains Mr. Mohammed Hameedi, the head of the facility. “People come here in the evening. They sit together and talk.”
Because the school is situated on higher ground, its lights are visible across much of the village. It is a small change, yet deeply meaningful in an area where darkness once arrived quickly and completely.
UNDP Afghanistan
Energy insecurity in Afghanistan
Afghanistan faces one of the highest levels of energy insecurity in the region. This reflects a significant gap between the energy the country produces and the energy it consumes.
At present, Afghanistan generates only about 15 to 17 percent of its electricity domestically. The remainder is imported, mainly from neighbouring Central Asian countries. In 2024, total electricity consumption reached roughly six million megawatt hours, with only 15 percent produced inside the country. Each year, Afghanistan spends an estimated 220 to 280 million US dollars on energy imports.
This heavy dependence makes the country highly vulnerable to supply disruptions. Across Afghanistan, most households receive just five to ten hours of electricity per day, illustrating the scale of the challenge.
Through its Sustainable Energy Services for Education and Health in Afghanistan (SESEHA) project, UNDP is working to address these gaps by providing schools and health facilities with reliable, renewable energy. Improved lighting and power create better learning environments and enable health facilities to operate essential medical equipment and deliver quality care.
UNDP Afghanistan
A safer place after dark
An unexpected outcome of lighting the school has been an increased sense of safety within the community. The school’s elevated location allows its lights to illuminate the surrounding area at night. Residents recall that wild animals used to pass nearby after dark, but such incidents have become far less common since the installation of the solar system.
It is a modest change, yet one that has noticeably improved how safe people feel in the evenings.
Renewed motivation for teachers
Inside the classrooms, the impact of electricity is immediately visible. Teachers can now use laptops and digital tools to prepare and deliver lessons.
One teacher describes what this change has meant for him personally.
“With electricity, I can prepare lessons on my laptop and use digital materials for the students,” he says. “It gives me hope and motivation to continue teaching here.”
For him and the other eight teachers at the school, reliable power has made their work both easier and more fulfilling.
UNDP Afghanistan
A growing school community
The effects of improved energy access are also reflected in student enrollment. In 2024, the school had 180 students. By 2025, enrollment had grown to 250 students, including 96 girls, 70 internally displaced children, 14 returnees, and six students living with disabilities.
With only four classrooms available, many lessons still take place outdoors. Even so, teachers have introduced extended learning sessions in mathematics and science, benefiting around 30 students.
Demand for education in the village continues to rise.
Power that serves the whole village
The benefits of solar energy extend beyond the classroom. The system also powers a borewell that supplies water to nearby households.
Community members initially discussed charging a small fee to help cover maintenance costs. After consultation through the village shura, they chose instead to keep the water free for all.
Students now bring their parents’ mobile phones to school for charging, while some households arrive with battery banks. What was once an energy-poor facility has become a small but important energy hub for the surrounding community.
To date, the SESEHA project, generously supported by European donors, is on the path to provide renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions to 1,413 public facilities across Afghanistan. These include 1,022 educational institutions and 391 health facilities.
By supporting one school and one health facility at a time, UNDP is improving daily life and expanding opportunities for thousands of families across the country.
