In Africa, access to reliable and inexpensive energy remains a challenge for many communities. In Uganda, this challenge is particularly acute in rural areas, where power cuts hamper access to education and reduce the future prospects of young people.
In this context, the Queen Best City Reach orphanage, located in the Toro region, is home to 30 children aged 3 to 6 every day. They don’t all have the same stories, but they share the same reality: living, learning and growing up in an environment where access to stable electricity has never been a matter of course.
These children some days did their homework on a candlelight , or waited for the power to restore so they could continue learning. In the evening, the silence imposed by darkness offered them neither security nor comfort. The use of generators remained costly and unstable. The orphanage had to choose between powering the classrooms or buying meals for the week. A difficult equation to balance, even more so when you’re responsible for educating future generations.
An initiative to brighten their daily lives
Aware of this reality, TOA Uganda and MTN Uganda decided to pool their expertise to provide a sustainable and humane solution to this problem. As part of the Y’ello Care 2025 initiative, they set up a solar infrastructure adapted to the needs of the orphanage.
The project includes :
- 22.77 kWh of solar panels, ensuring a constant supply of clean energy for classrooms, dormitories and common areas
- A 14.4 kWh back-up battery, guaranteeing over 5 hours of autonomy even in the absence of sunlight
- A 2 kW inverter and 150 V charge controller, to secure all equipment used daily by children and educational staff
- Ongoing maintenance service provided by TOA Uganda, enabling on-site teams to concentrate on the children’s education and well-being, without worrying about technical management.
This solution is not just an energy solution. It changes the way children live. It brightens up their games, makes evening classes possible, enables educators to use digital tools and reinforces their sense of security. Energy becomes a factor of stability in an environment that was lacking in it.
Concrete results for the orphanage and the children
Since the installation, the orphanage has been able to reduce its energy costs by 70%. These savings have been reinvested in more complete meals, the purchase of educational materials and regular medical check-ups for the children.
For the children, these figures mean something else: mornings when you wake up with light, endings when you can read or draw, classrooms where digital blackboards work, evenings when light reassures you before going to sleep.
A shared vision for human development
The handover and recognition ceremonies took place in the presence of Pramesh Ramparsad, CEO of TOA accompanied by TOA staff, Her Majesty the Queen Mother of the Kingdom of Toro and Sylvia Mulinge, CEO of MTN Uganda. This symbolic moment embodies a shared desire to use technology as a lever for human development.
The choice to support an orphanage is no accident. It’s about setting a precedent. To show that with an infrastructure designed to last, it is possible to offer children better learning and living conditions, even in the most isolated rural areas.
Energy for a sustainable future
This project is fully in line with TOA’s vision of building sustainable telecoms infrastructures that empower communities. Toro’s initiative demonstrates that social and environmental impact can be at the heart of investment strategies in Africa. Access to clean, stable electricity is not just about energy performance. It’s a prerequisite for education, health and dignity. And in this orphanage, 30 children bear witness to this every day, through their smiles, their progress at school and their new-found confidence.
Key facts
- Green energy becomes a lever for digital inclusion and education for children in rural areas
- TOA Uganda and MTN Uganda have enabled an orphanage in Uganda to reduce its energy costs by 70%, with direct reinvestment in Children’s meals and education.
- This project is a replicable model of how sustainable infrastructure can have a tangible human impact on children’s education, safety, Health, wellbeing and lives in general.
