The Student Perspective: Reflections from GOGSFE 2024

In early October, Efficiency for Access had the opportunity to bring a selection of Nairobi-based Challenge students along to The Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo (GOGSFE) 2024 as part of our Efficiency for Access Design Challenge prototype exhibition. The event proved to be a transformative event for many young innovators, entrepreneurs, and educators. Through the voices of these participants, we have captured how this event broadened their perspectives, provided practical skills, and inspired them to become agents of change in the energy access sector.

Bringing together the industry and fueling passion

William shared his excitement for interacting with both technical experts and financial professionals who provided critical insights. “GOGLA has been very, very exciting! Coming to see all the industry partners in solar come together and actually discuss what it means to create appliances and products that can be used across the world… I didn’t only meet experts in the technical field; I met people in finance who told me, ‘well, you need to work on the costs and on your marketing strategy’. Probably next time, at GOGSFE … I’ll [have] my own stand here, [fellow student] Joy will be next to mine, and we’ll be talking about how it was all because of Efficiency for Access”. Joy echoed William’s thoughts: “It’s been one of the highlights of my year”.

Andy and Noah were also struck by the collaborative spirit of the event. “GOGSFE has been amazing… filled with many experiences… We got the opportunity to talk to many [visitors] that were as curious as we were, coming to ask us about our innovations and experiences” Andy remarked. Noah added that, “networking with a whole lot of like-minded individuals who… have come up the ranks like us and have managed to turn their innovative ideas into wholesome businesses” was a highlight of his experience.

Kenneth expressed that he found GOGSFE “mind-boggling, getting to meet a lot of people with different ideas and different perspectives from the one I would have taken was really enlightening”.

Bridging classroom knowledge and real-world application

For educators like Kinyua from the University of Nairobi, GOGSFE 2024 and his wider experience on the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge have provided a way to connect academic knowledge to practical applications. “It’s always been challenging to convert things that are [taught] in class to things that are seen on the outside,” he shared, noting that his students are even beginning to develop their projects beyond the Challenge and that visitors’ interest was allowing them to see what they can do. “The wealth of knowledge they’re gaining just by participating… has been remarkable,” he added.

The event also allowed project teams to gather feedback from a real-world perspective. Vallary shared that the various Efficiency for Access grantees at the conference were able to provide them with “advice on how to improve our product and also how to go about it when faced with certain challenges”. Ronit and Job, whose project focused on a solar-powered smart cereal dryer, found it especially beneficial. “We… got to hear many different perspectives on how we develop from the ideation phase of our project to its…viable implementation in the market,” Ronit explained. Job emphasised their new understanding of the importance of partnerships, an aspect they hadn’t fully considered until GOGSFE.

Discovering the role of partnerships in growth

Many attendees recognized the role that strategic partnerships play in bringing their projects to life. Trevor shared his team’s key takeaway from the conference is to “ask the most important questions” of themselves and of the people that can help them develop. Angela added that her team learned “how we can grow our business and improve by connecting with industry experts.”

Hilary expressed how the conference reinforced his vision of contributing to energy access across Africa, stating, “Africans must be there to be part of it,” signalling the need for locally driven solutions like his own.

Empowering a generation to drive change

GOGSFE 2024 did more than impart technical knowledge; according to the students present, it encouraged a sense of capability and purpose. Joseph, an educator from Strathmore University, shared his pride in seeing his students “feel they have grown; they feel they are now capable of moving forward… [instilling] confidence in them that…they are on the right path”.

Joy, responding to how she sees her career trajectory from here said “I might not stay in the corporate world for long, I think I will become an entrepreneur”. Collins similarly voiced the sense of empowerment felt by his team, noting, “For [our project] the future is very bright… we want to partner with industrial experts, we want to get feedback on our project, and we are looking into the future to see how we can improve”.

Bul echoed these sentiments on the final day of the conference.  “The networking opportunities have been endless. It’s something I could do over and over… It’s been an amazing experience”.

Capitalising on this rare opportunity to bring Challenge participants to a sector event proved to have a much greater impact than many could have expected. Students walked away not only with a wealth of new knowledge and experiences, but a renewed drive to pursue their goals. As Angeline summarised, “from the Expo, we are able to have a good plan… to work to make [our project] better and much more affordable.”

With this positive response from students who have been inspired by who they have met and what they have seen at GOGSFE 2024, the Forum is again a valuable step in the journey of this next generation of innovators towards a sustainable future.