In Kenema, Sierra Leone, EWB-DK’s engagement has led to a promising partnership with Opportunity Training Centre (OTC) – an organization that has supported the survival of disabled people since 1994. OTC seeks to secure the rights of underprivileged people suffering from physical disabilities, as this group is often excluded and discriminated by the surrounding society in Kenema.

Through the education at OTC, approximately 60 students are currently on their way to a better life - away from the bottom of society. In addition to basic education in reading/writing and math, the training at OTC includes metal-, electrical-, tailoring- and hair dressing-workshops. With the support of EWB-DK, the objective is to have the students acquire skills within IT as well. As in the rest of the world, computer technology is the foundation of most development in Kenema, but today the electricity at OTC is unreliable. During a fact-finding mission conducted in the fall of 2017, volunteers found a need for technical support in several areas such as sanitation, water supply, and a general lift in the student capacity etc., but primarily they emphasized that installing a sustainable energy source was of utmost importance. EWB-DK will provide the technical support for the instalment of a solar energy system, thus creating the basis for a new IT-department, which will provide the students with the possibility of a stable income in the future.

The project contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals regarding quality education (#4), affordable and clean energy (#7), reduced inequalities (#10) and partnerships for the goals (#17).