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Mbale, Uganda | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | High in the rolling hills of Mbale District, Kilulu B Village is witnessing a quiet but powerful revolution, one powered not by politics or pipelines but by sunlight. At the centre of this transformation are Local Council I Chairperson Simon Malenje and his partner Grace Kayegi, who manages Good Journey Nursery and Primary School.
Together, they are expanding access to quality education for more than 300 children, many from low-income families and orphaned backgrounds. Their mission is simple yet profound – no child in their community should be denied education because of circumstance.
Founded in 2016, Good Journey Nursery and Primary School quickly became a beacon of hope in the area. However, unreliable grid electricity threatened to dim that promise. Power outages struck as often as three times a week, often lasting over six hours at a time. These blackouts did more than switch off lights. They cut learning short.
Evening study sessions were impossible. Morning preparation classes were inconsistent. Learners, especially Primary Seven candidates preparing for the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), lost crucial study time. Plans to introduce a boarding section stalled due to safety concerns and the lack of dependable lighting.
“The unstable electricity affected not only study schedules but also enrolment,” explains Kayegi. “Learners often had to return home early, limiting their learning hours. Our candidates suffered most because they did not get enough time to read.”
As the 2025 PLE approached, the situation became urgent. Traditional alternatives such as candles and kerosene lamps posed fire risks, health hazards, and ongoing costs the school could not sustain.
Seeking a safer and more reliable solution, Malenje invested in solar energy. Through Sun King, a leading solar provider in Uganda, the school acquired the Home Plus Pro system at a discounted price. Equipped with high-efficiency lights and a long-lasting battery, the system can power classrooms throughout the night on a single charge.
Installed just weeks before national examinations, the solar solution immediately transformed the learning environment. For the first time, pupils could study consistently in the evenings and prepare early in the mornings without interruption.
The investment was made possible through the Results-Based Financing (RBF) Program, a collaborative initiative involving Equity Bank Uganda, Energizing Development (EnDev) Uganda, and GIZ. The program provides incentives to solar suppliers, enabling schools, households, and small businesses to access high-quality renewable energy products at reduced cost.
By lowering the upfront barrier, the program is accelerating clean energy adoption in underserved communities where reliable electricity remains out of reach.
Within a single year, the effects have been tangible; enrolment increased from 250 to 310 pupils and continues to grow, school revenue rose from Shs 3.5 million to Shs 5 million per term, study hours expanded through consistent morning and evening preparation and teacher recruitment increased to meet growing demand.
“With stable lighting, our candidates now have more time to concentrate on their studies,” says Malenje. “Better performance in national examinations attracts more learners, which allows us to hire more teachers and create jobs. As village chairman, I am proud that children who might otherwise be idle now have a chance at a better future.”
Solar energy has done more than illuminate classrooms. It has strengthened livelihoods, improved safety, and restored confidence in education as a pathway out of poverty.
Encouraged by these gains, Malenje plans to expand the solar system to power the entire school, including teachers’ quarters and a future boarding section. His long-term vision goes even further: a solar-powered water pumping system that would supply clean water to both the school and the surrounding community.
Such developments would transform Good Journey from a struggling rural school into a fully equipped education hub serving Kilulu B and neighboring villages.
The story of Good Journey Nursery and Primary School demonstrates how renewable energy can unlock progress where conventional infrastructure falls short. Reliable lighting has translated into longer study hours, improved academic prospects, increased enrolment, job creation, and renewed hope.
In Kilulu B, solar panels are not just generating electricity. They are generating opportunity.
And as dusk settles over the Mbale highlands, the glow from those classrooms signals something powerful: a community stepping confidently into a brighter future, one sunbeam at a time
