Starehe Girls’ school wins global energy award

The entrance of Starehe Girls Centre in Kiambu. [PHOTO: FILE/Standard]

Starehe Girls Centre has won the Zayed Future Energy Prize 2017 in the Global High Schools category.

The school was recognised for a proposed project to implement a rooftop photovoltaic system to supplement its electricity supply.

The PV system, once operational, will reduce Starehe’s annual utilities bill by 20 per cent. Starehe says the savings will be used to enroll an additional 10 girls in the next academic year.

Nawal Al-Hosany, the director of Zayed Future Energy Prize, said that the institution had impressed them with the proposal’s vision and the legacy it will leave for future students.

“Empowering young people is key to a good future. We welcome Starehe Girls to our community and hope it will act as a benchmark for others in Africa to think and act sustainably,” he said.

Starehe Girls project coordinator Wilkista Onyango said they are not too young to be involved in raising local and global awareness on how to curb global warming.

“We are young ambassadors of change in the world through creative thinking and implementing a clean energy development project,” she said. Zayed Future Energy Prize is an annual award that celebrates achievements that reflect impact, innovation, long-term vision and leadership in renewable energy and sustainability.

Since its inception, the award has created a growing community that is committed to finding solutions to challenges in energy security, environment and climate change.

It was launched in 2008 as part of the UAE leadership’s commitment to the United Nation’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative. The award ceremony was held last week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.