A ST Twynnells solar engineer has been helping villagers in Zanzibar generate a brighter future.

James Ramage visited the exotic island on behalf of Sazani Associates – a Carmarthen-based company which is giving a burst of new hope and job opportunities to villagers.

With help from the Welsh Government and Comic Relief, the firm has completed a project installing solar power systems at 20 villages across the northern district of the island.

It has also helped create a new co-operative of more than 40 trained installers who already plan to build a new sustainable business.

When James checked the solar power systems, he was pleasantly surprised with what he found, as he told the new solar team at a workshop event at Mkokotoni College.

The 100-watt, battery operated systems, which cost just £500 each, can charge 24 mobile phones at any one time. The plan is charge people a small amount to use the electricity which will help build a maintenance and replacement fund for the systems.

"Our hope is that this highly-skilled team will now be able to market their abilities to the wider community across Zanzibar and create their own self-supporting business that allows others to benefit from solar power and provides them with an income," said James.

Some of Zanzibar’s residents survive on an average income of just 60p per day and there is up to 90% unemployment among the young.

In rural Zanzibar many villages have a sporadic electricity supply and many are not even on the grid at all. Power shortages have a direct impact on education and communication as well as ordinary day to day to life because, situated close to the equator, sunset comes early and suddenly.

"So not only are those young people benefitting from being able to carry on studying after dark - for many of the girls this is the only time they can study because of the chores they have to do around the home - they have now created a solar installation cooperative to bid for local contracts," said James.