On her visit of the myclimate climate protection project in Ethiopia, Franziska Heidenreich, Head of the myclimate Department of Climate Protection Projects, got to hear many such enthusiastic comments from people who have a new solar home system in their house. The solar home system allows them for example to do the housework or milk the cow after sunset. A grandfather said: "We have light for the first time in our life. The children can do their homework after sunset and they do not have to be scared any more that the school books catch fire from the kerosene lamp!"
The new energy source is not only used for light but also for brewing local beer or - very important - to charge mobile phones: "Before, we had to walk one hour to town to charge our cell phone", so the grandfather.
Biza, a local farmer, sold his ox to pay for the solar panel. "Batam turu. Batam turu", he answers to the question of how he likes his solar home system. That means "very good, very good" in his language Amharic. He no longer has to pay for three litres of kerosene every month to feed his kerosene lamp.
Last but not least, the solar energy even allows the people in the project region to listen to music, says Franziska Heidenreich, having been invited to a party lasting the whole dark, now lighted night.