Our Trainees: Training Africa’s Solar Pioneers

We say goodbye to Gloria, who has left a lasting impression at EWIA. At the same time, another trainee from the neighboring country of Burkina Faso, Ahmed, joins us, who was also trained at the Burkina Institute of Technology. What he will be working on in the future can be read here.

We repeatedly emphasize how important our trainees are to us—for two reasons: On one hand, it is always valuable to gain perspectives from young people freshly out of university. On the other hand, we help pass on proven knowledge to this young generation to train a spearhead of African solar pioneers. And if these trainees are young women, all the better.

Along the way, we also fulfill three UN Sustainable Development Goals that are close to our hearts: SDG 4 (“Quality education”), SDG 5 (“Gender equality and women’s empowerment”), and SDG 8 (“Decent work and economic growth”).

At EWIA, a baton handover is currently taking place. We say goodbye to Gloria Okoampha and welcome Ahmed Dabone.

Goodbye Gloria!

Gloria Okoampha was the first intern we took on who had not yet completed her studies. She had previously been featured in a small segment by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. And although the young woman from Ghana, who came to us through the Don Bosco Foundation, was still in her undergraduate studies, her very solid basic understanding of the principles of solar energy immediately stood out to us.

Gloria was involved in site assessments, system sizing, design, and documentation. Of course, all of this is done digitally today, so she quickly became familiar with tools like PVsyst and AutoCAD Electrical. What distinguished her were her willingness to learn and her curiosity. She also always worked very well with the technical team and the back office.

We will miss Gloria greatly; she showed great

potential in the field of solar energy. We hope that she will continue to have opportunities to gain practical experience as part of her studies. Thank you for being with us, and all the best for your future, Gloria! It was a pleasure having you.

A warm welcome, Ahmed!

Ahmed Dabone is now freshly on board. The 24-year-old electrical engineer comes from Ghana’s French-speaking neighbor, Burkina Faso (more about this connection here). Ahmed was also trained at the Burkina Institute of Technology (BIT) in Koudougou between 2021 and 2024, with a focus on computer technologies, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

During his studies, Ahmed completed several internships in Burkina Faso that prepared him well for EWIA. At B-Electric in Dori, Burkina Faso, the electrical engineering student already installed and maintained electrical and solar systems. At SAVANE Medias and SONABEL Zagtouli in the capital, Ouagadougou, he also handled the installation of electricity meter panels.

We are excited that Ahmed is now taking over the baton! With his experience and enthusiasm for sustainable PV energy solutions, he will work

alongside our engineers at EWIA to develop and implement tailored solutions for our commercial and industrial (C&I) clients—from design and installation to the maintenance of our PV systems.