LocationsYoung People in Benguela Preparing for the Future with Solar Energy
June 11, 2025
Victorina Tchiteculo, one of many students training at the Don Bosco Centre in Benguela in the field of renewable energy.
The Dom Bosco Training Centre in Benguela has taken on a new role in recent years: in addition to training young people in essential technical skills, it now also prepares them for a growing sector in the country, renewable energy.
With support from UNDP, through TRAC 2 funds, 36 solar systems have been installed at the educational centre. In addition to expanding access to clean energy, reducing costs and lowering CO₂ emissions, these systems serve as a practical laboratory for courses on the installation and maintenance of photovoltaic systems.
Part of a project covering the provinces of Huíla and Benguela, this UNDP partnership with provincial governments and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centres aims to empower young people and women by using affordable and sustainable energy to increase employment opportunities in rural areas.
The initiative also includes support for agriculture and cooperatives led by women and young people, creating a link between clean energy, local production and income generation.
UNDP has helped us not only to secure tools, but above all to welcome young people who come running to us asking for technical and vocational training. Through the tools and resources provided by the UNDP, we have been able to respond adequately to the training needs of young people.Victorino João, Dom Bosco Director
In Angola, photovoltaic energy is more than just an energy alternative. It is also an opportunity to boost the local economy and create jobs in regions where access to electricity is limited.
Victorina Tchiteculo is an example of this potential: “At the Dom Bosco Centre, I learned a lot: how to install photovoltaic panels, how to cut, how to weld... This improved my life because I gained a lot of experience. Today, I am able to start a business to support myself.”
For students, solar panels are not just equipment in the courtyard or workshop, but concrete signs that the skills they learn today can fuel their future.
Óscar Armândio, Student
“At the Dom Bosco Centre, I learned the basics of electricity and also photovoltaic installation, an area of renewable energy. This training has added to my technical knowledge. I am now finishing and hope to be able to apply all the knowledge I have learned here,” Óscar shared.
Victorina and Óscar are just two examples among many young people who, thanks to this project, are gaining skills that are valued in the market and the confidence to forge their own path.
By linking access to clean energy with practical training, the initiative is generating real and sustainable opportunities for rural communities, especially for women and young people.
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