News

Report on the Tanzania Renewable Energy Labour Market Study

The Report on the Tanzania Renewable Energy Labour Market Study gave us a lot of interesting details about the situation around Vocational Training and Renewable Energies in Tanzania.  Some Examples:

- There are a lot of different instituations offering short time courses for technicians about the subject of renewable energies

- The study counts a total amount of 924 technicians in the field of renewable energies who have received a training in the years since 2000.

- VETA trained 183 PV-Technicians and 52 Teachers in the period between 2006 and 2010. But the teacher were not speficically for Renewable Energies only

- The market for renewable energies is growing dramatically in tanzania

- We now do have a list of all vocational training centers in Tanzania, roughly 470 institutions around the country.

 

NSI Annual general meeting 2016

The 15th of October 2016 the annual general meeting of NSI e.V. was held in Neuendettelsau.

There were a lot of interesting reports and statements and the formal requirements for running the association were fulfilled. The board presented the activities in the year 2016 which were also shown in the annual report which is also available on the website.

MLVTC is still the first and only Vocational Training Center in Tanzania offering the course about Renewable Energies following the VETA curriculum. Supported by the URBIS foundation there have been Village Presentations.

NSI has ordered and received a study from TAREA about the situation of Vocational Teachers for Renewable Energies in Tanzania. This "Report of Tanzania renewable energy labour market study" has a lot of very interesting insites. Following up the findings of this study our board member Markus Weidemann did a journey around Tanzania to talk to as many stakeholders as possible.

NSI Annual general meeting 2015

The 17th of October 2015 the annual general meeting of NSI e.V. was held in Neuendettelsau.

There were a lot of interesting reports and statements and the formal requierements for running the association were fulfilled. The board presented the activities in the year 2015 which were also shown in the annual report which is also available on the website.

There was also a new election of the board performed. Lukas Beutel finished his board activities on his own wish. With Markus Weidemann a new vice chairperson with a lot of experience in work in Tanzania and especially in Vocational Training Centers was elected. Other board members were ready to continue the board activities and were reconfirmed in their functions.

cooperation between URBIS foundation and MLVTC and TAREA

The german URBIS foundation announced starting in 2015 a special cooperation with our tanzanian partners Mafinga Lutheran Vocational Training Center (MLVTC) and Tanzanian Renewable Energy Agency (TAREA). Starting in 2015 funds will be available for project applications of these two partners. The projects shall improve quality of the education about renewable energy and foster the access of graduates of MLVTC to the job market and tanzanian enterprises in the sector of renewable energies. NSI appreciate this commitment very much and is proud to contribute ideas to this cooperation.

VETA Curriculum for Renewable Energies approved

After years of promotion the Vocational Education and Training Authority approved the curriculum for Vocational Training about Renewable Energies to be applied as an VETA-approved course.

Our long-term partner Mafinga Lutheran Vocational Training Center (MLVTC) is among the first Vocational Training Centers which are allowed to apply the new curriculum in a pilot phase.

NSI congratulate MLVTC to reach this goal and hope this can push the course and the subject of renewable energies forward.

Planned scholarship framework for small RE projects doesn't work out

The advertised idea of creating a standardized framework for applying for support for small scale RE projects doesn't seem to work out. The board tried to realize this idea with different partners in Tanzania. Finally the idea was to offer a small scholarship to University students who are ready to do their bachelor or master thesis in the sector of renewable energies. But since the board of NSI is not able to perform a appropriate selection process for the applicants and is not able to do advertisement and continuous support in Tanzania we searched for a strong and reliable partner in Tanzania. We tried to establish a cooperation with the Mwanza section of a strong students organization. Unfortunately the communication was not sufficiently reliable.

Cooperation with Berufsbildung Tansania e.V.

In cooperation with NSI e.V. the association Berufsbildung Tansania e.V. has conducted a project for the improvement of the infrastructur at an vocational training center in the North of Tanzania. The project was cofinanced by the "Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung" through bengo with a sum of 37.500€. In practice a house for dinning and the kitchen was built at the Muleba Lutheran Vocational Training Center. The project was requested and approved in 2014 and finished and deducted in 2015. We thank Berufsbildung Tansania e.V. for the very good cooperation.

New projects and cooperations in preparation

On the last NSI general meeting the board was asked to extend the number of partners and to search for new project possibilities.

The board is now in the preparation process for new projects.

For example there is the idea to build up a framework for small projects in Tanzania. Through this standardized framework organizations in Tanzania should be able to apply for support for their RE projects in Tanzania. The process should be simple and transparent.

There are also cooperation with other Vocational Training Center in discussion. At our next board meeting we will have guests on this matter.

TODAY - 27. October 2012: Annual NSI General Meeting

Today all members of NSI meet again in Neuendettelsau, Germany, for their annual general meeting.

 

Among others, two new board members will need to be elected. Gregory von Abendroth and Frederik Bartels announced already that they cannot continue for another three year election period.

14 (almost) NSI members attended the meeting
14 (almost) NSI members attended the meeting

NSI supports participation of 10 RE students in a big solar installation

From the 28th to the 31th of March 2012 10 students of the Renewable Energy Class of the Mafinga Vocational Training Center could participate in the installation of a big photovoltaic system at Ilula Orphanage Center. Under the guidance of two german electricians they helped to install photovoltaic moduls, a charge controller, an inverter and batteries for the electricity supply of the Orphanage Center. The participation specially helped them to get experience in the handling and installation of a big solar system (about 2700 Wp) since they usually only get in contact with much smaller systems.

NSI supported the participation of the students by covering 75% of the costs for transport, accomodation and food during this trip. We would like to thank  Veronika, Lisa and Konstantin very much for the idea and the managment of this project.

1st Semester 2012: NSI financed 20 Renewable Energy students at the MLVTC

In the first semster of 2012 NSI financed 20 students studying Renewable Energies at the MLVTC. The AvB-scholarship covers the school fee of TZS 220.000 per semester (about 105,00 €) per student. The number of scholars for the second semester 2012 will be announced soon. 

October 2012: NSI finances 20 students studying Renewable Energies at MLVTC

20 Tanzanian students are currently stuyding RE in Mafinga. 10 in the second year, 10 in their first year, of which 4 just entered this September 2012. They receive support from the AvB scholarship with 220TSH per annum.

29. October 2011: Alumni Seminar in Mafinga & Graduation Day

40 alumni students from the RE department were invited to join at the MLVTC in Mafinga for a several days long seminar discussing various topics around renewable energy application and business financing. In parallel graduation day happened and three students completed their RE training at the MLVTC.

15. October 2011: Annual NSI General Meeting

This year's general meeting of NSI happened October 15th in Neuendettelsau, Germany, bringing together members of the association and its board. The work of the NSI board during 2011 was discussed. For the first time, a chatroom allowed also members from far away to follow the meeting.

 

A major topic was the approval of the new curriculum for renewable energies at the MLVTC which needed to be accelerated.

September 2011: Director of MLVTC visits Germany

Mr. Onesmo Maseleka, director of the Mafinga Lutheran Vocational Training Center, visits members of the NSI board during a one week long trip to Germany.

 

Aside the meeting "Energy Alternatives for Africa" in Neuendettelsau, Maseleka reports that until now from three windmills built at the MLVTC only one was sold. Due to the relatively high price of 4 Mio TZS people seem to be hesitant to invest into such RE devices. Ideas have to generated, how to allow for a better sales plan.

August 2011: After Graduation 16 RE Students remain at the MLVTC

RE students at MLVTC
RE students at MLVTC

The number of RE students at the RE department of the MLVTC, which had increased tremendously to 21 in Spring 2011. Just lately, three students graduated, another three students quit the training in advance and one new student joined in Fall 2011.  Therefore, we have 16 students studying RE at the MLVTC today.

 

NSI is very happy to offer all current students a scholarship from the Arved von Breitenstein fund.

January 2011: First Tanzanian RE Curriculum to be accredited by VETA

In 2008 the Tanzanian Renewable Energy Association (TAREA) in Dar es Salaam was assigned by the school in Mafinga (MLVTC) to prepare the first curriculum for renewable energies, which shall be accredited by the government (VETA - Vocational training authority of Tanzania, NECTA - The National Examinations Council of Tanzania). NSI is financing the project. Until now the entire curriculum proposal had been written and was submitted to VETA, awaiting accreditation within the year of 2011.

October 2010: NSI Board Changes

Oliver and Felix climb a selfmade windmill in Tanzania
Oliver and Felix climb a selfmade windmill in Tanzania

NSI welcomes Oliver Schömann as new member of the board. As a former DTP volunteer he had spent a whole year in Mafinga at the MLVTC installing a new windmill technology. Speaking fluently Suaheli he returned to Germany in fall 2009 in order to start with his studies in environmental technologies in Berlin. Oliver is also member of the DTP and will keep close contact for NSI to the current volunteers and RE students in Mafinga.

 

NSI is also happy to welcome Felix Radeck, also a former DTP volunteer who had just returned from Tanzania. He joines the NSI team as advisory member of the board.

August 2010: NSI Board Member Walter E. Keller

NSI is very sad over the sudden and unexpected death of board member Walter E. Keller. As a funding member of NSI he accompanied the association continuously since the beginning. We look thankfully back to all the inspirations and energy he had brought to NSI and our team.

April 2009: NSI-Award

The NSI-award 2009 was awarded to Mr. Ahudi Chaula for his exceptionally good performance during his RE training at MLVTC. Ahudi Chaula was student for RE from 28.2.2007 until 1.11.2008. He was awarded a couple of handycraft machines in the value of 500€ in order to set up his own workshop for renewable energies.

News

The last general assembly took place the 21st October 2017 in Neuendettelsau

First version of our Vocational Teacher Training Sector is available on our website. We are kindly asking for feedback

URBIS foundation funds study and work of NSI about RE Teacher Training Programm here

URBIS foundation funds projects at Mafinga Lutheran Vocational Training Center, find more here

VETA Curriculum for renewable energies approved, find more here

Successful cooperation with Berufsbildung Tansania e.V., find more here