Yesterday marked an inspiring milestone in Cameroon’s journey towards renewable energy and sustainable development. Through the Solar Bright Future – Youth Green Skills Program, 38 young men and women proudly graduated as certified solar technicians, joining the growing community of youth committed to addressing both energy poverty and climate change. This achievement represents the successful completion of the program’s second training cohort, underscoring its impact and sustainability as a model for youth empowerment.

The newly graduated solar technicians underwent an intensive three-month hands-on training focused on solar system design, installation, and maintenance. More than just classroom theory, the program emphasized real-world application, equipping participants with the technical skills needed to work on projects ranging from household solar installations to larger community-based systems. The training also integrated soft skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship, ensuring that graduates are not only skilled workers but also potential business leaders and innovators in the renewable energy sector.

Bridging the Gap Between Energy Access and Employment

Cameroon, like many African countries, faces significant challenges related to energy access. According to the World Bank, a considerable portion of the population, particularly in rural areas, remains without reliable electricity. This limits opportunities for education, healthcare, business growth, and overall economic development. At the same time, youth unemployment continues to rise, leaving many young people without sustainable livelihoods.

The Solar Bright Future – Youth Green Skills Program was designed precisely to address these twin challenges: energy poverty and youth unemployment. By equipping young people with green skills that are directly linked to solving pressing societal problems, the initiative creates a win-win solution. Graduates emerge as employable professionals ready to join or create businesses in the renewable energy industry, while also becoming agents of change working to bring clean, affordable energy to underserved communities.

Graduates as Innovators and Champions

What makes this program unique is not only the technical training but also the values it instills in participants. Graduates are encouraged to see themselves as champions of climate action and social impact. In a country where reliance on non-renewable energy sources contributes to both environmental degradation and public health concerns, these young technicians embody a shift towards sustainability.

Armed with knowledge and passion, they are prepared to design innovative solar solutions that meet the diverse energy needs of households, schools, health centers, and businesses. Some graduates have already expressed interest in launching their own enterprises, offering solar-powered irrigation for farmers, lighting for off-grid villages, and energy solutions for small businesses. Others are eager to join established solar companies where they can immediately put their skills into practice.

Building a Green Workforce for the Future

This second cohort builds upon the success of the first, reflecting the program’s growing reputation as a transformational pathway for youth empowerment. With every new graduate, Cameroon gains not just a solar technician but a climate leader who is committed to driving forward the nation’s renewable energy transition.

The initiative also aligns closely with global calls for a just energy transition. As the world works to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), green jobs are increasingly recognized as critical to ensuring both environmental sustainability and social equity. Programs like Solar Bright Future directly contribute to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), while indirectly supporting goals related to education, climate action, and poverty reduction.

A Call for Partnerships and Scale

While the graduation of 38 youth is a cause for celebration, the need for skilled solar technicians in Cameroon and across Africa is vast. To scale the impact, stronger partnerships between governments, civil society, private sector, and international organizations are essential. With more investment, the program can train hundreds, even thousands, of young people every year, building a workforce capable of powering communities sustainably while reducing unemployment.

As this cohort steps into the next phase of their journeys, they carry not only certificates but also a mission: to bring light where there is darkness, to power hope where opportunities are scarce, and to prove that youth are central to solving the greatest challenges of our time.

Conclusion

The graduation of these 38 young solar technicians is far more than a ceremonial milestone; it is a powerful statement about the future Cameroon envisions—a future where young people lead the way in building sustainable, resilient, and inclusive communities. With determination, innovation, and the skills they now possess, these graduates are not just job seekers; they are changemakers, shaping a solar bright future for themselves, their communities, and the planet.

Asia in Conversation: A MasterPeace Meetup

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On June 5th, 2025 i.e. on the World Environment Day, MasterPeace Nagaland joined hands with Baptist College, Task Force for Music and Arts (TaFMA), and the Silviculture Division, Government of Nagaland, for a meaningful tree plantation drive at Sechu Zubza in Kohima district of Nagaland. This joint initiative brought together community members, students, member of CSO’s and other officials to plant over 100 trees and reaffirming the shared commitment of everyone to environmental conservation and sustainable living.

The event was also attended by Theja Meru, Chairman of TaFMA and Club Leader for MasterPeace Nagaland, who actively participated in the plantation activities. The initiative was further amplified through a special message and video presentation by MasterPeace Global Ambassador, Imnainla Jamir. Speaking on behalf of MasterPeace, she urged everyone to take small but impactful actions and engage in small efforts suchas conserving water, fuel, and electricity in order to protect the environment.

Imnainla also highlighted the deep connection between culture, heritage, and environmental protection, reminding us that traditional customs do carry a valuable wisdom for sustainable living. She shared this message widely through her social media such as Instagram and twitter, encouraging young people and communities around the world to take action for our planet.

This event reflects MasterPeace Nagaland’s ongoing efforts to foster awareness, community action, and collaboration for a greener, more resilient future.

AI Literacy: Innovations Shaping the Future of K–12 Education

The May 2025 session of MasterPeace COOLTalk, titled "AI Literacy: Innovations Shaping the Future of K–12 Education," was conducted by Hariprasad Kapilavai on May 23, 2025, and moderated by Sudipto Dawn. Participants from Africa, Europe, America, and Asia attended the session.

COOLTalk is a regular part of the MasterPeace COOLeaders program. MasterPeace COOLeaders aims to build a new and creative leadership or change makers who bring fresh perspectives and ethical approach filled with care for the natural ecology, mental, physical, economic well being along with a sense of social justice and liberty. The COOLTalk is a way to build awareness and start a dialogue about the key issues pertaining affecting the ecology, society & the individual and creative approaches for enabling and sustaining change.

The phenomenon of AI is changing the, world and is going to have a profound impact on everyone. As such it can widen the divide in the global south-north context leading to ecological, democratic and social crisis. This COOLTalk addressed this issue bringing into focus as to how AI can be integrated into the school education process to enable the students to navigate a new world where they have to co-exist and compete with AI driven consciousness.

Hariprasad Kapilavai is a seasoned technology architect and strategist with deep expertise in multi-cloud integration, enterprise architecture, and AI-driven digital transformation. With an MBA in IT and a B.Tech in Computer Science, he currently serves as a Senior Technology Architect, leading award-winning global initiatives in cloud, AI, and platform modernization. A Senior Member of IEEE and recipient of the Indian Achievers Award, Hari is recognized for his innovation, leadership, and advisory roles across major digital programs. Certified in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud platforms, he is a passionate advocate for reshaping technology education and enterprise readiness in the AI era.

✅ Foundational Importance of AI Literacy (K–12)

• AI is shaping the daily lives of children; early education must equip them to understand, question, and shape this technology.
• AI literacy is essential for equity, opportunity, and democratic participation—not just technical careers.

✅ Global Frameworks Guiding AI in Education

• UNESCO promotes human-centered, ethical AI education.
• ISTE’s AI4K12 framework introduces five core AI concepts: perception, representation, learning, interaction, and societal impact—adaptable across all grade levels.

Innovations by Education Level

✅ Elementary (K–5): “Playful AI”

• Voice Assistants & Storytelling Bots: Introduce natural language processing through interactive reading.
• Robotics Kits (Cozmo, LEGO SPIKE, Cubetto): Blend coding and creativity to teach algorithmic thinking.
• Visual Learning Tools (Quiver, Teachable Machine): Make machine learning concepts intuitive and tangible for young minds.

Goal: Spark curiosity and build foundational intuition—AI is not magic, but a tool built by humans.

✅ Middle School (6–8): “Exploring Ethics and Algorithms”

• Teachable Machine & MIT App Inventor: Deepen understanding of training data, model accuracy, and algorithmic decisions.
• Games and Role-Playing: Tackle AI bias, privacy, and ethical dilemmas through interactive learning.
• Cross-Disciplinary Creativity: Use AI in art, music, and storytelling to expand student engagement.
• Real-World Projects: Apply AI to weather prediction, plant diagnostics, and social issues.

Goal: Foster critical thinking and ethical inquiry—AI systems are created by people, and reflect human choices.

✅High School (9–12): “Building with AI”

• Technical Projects (Python, TensorFlow Lite, Edge AI): Hands-on coding of real AI systems using accessible hardware.
• Career Pathways: Industry mentorships, career talks, and internships connect AI learning to real futures.
• AI for Social Good: Students build chatbots, sentiment analysis tools, and sustainability apps.

✅Open-Source Curriculum: Tools like Google’s AI for Anyone and Microsoft’s AI for Beginners democratize access.

Goal: Empower students to build, critique, and apply AI responsibly—developing leadership and innovation for the digital age

Early AI literacy is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. By introducing AI across all grade levels, we’re not just preparing students for tomorrow’s workforce; we’re cultivating thoughtful, ethical leaders who can shape the future with wisdom, creativity, and responsibility.

The keynote address provoked many questions from he participants. Nico de Klerk from South Africa expressed his fear that AI will lead to loss of job and freedom, while January from Malawi felt that the teachers at the Innovation Center which he has established need to be updated about integrating AI into their education system. Enock from MasterPeace Uganda wanted to explore ways though which AI could be integrated with a project for early education which he is in the process of devising.

There are also severe concerns as to how the market forces will manipulate AI to further drive consumerism bd radical behavior in societies. The need for AI driven education or information system for children and teenager needs to be responsible and responsive to the cultural norms of the diverse communities around the world. It was decided that Hari and MasterPeace will work towards briding he AI divide by building capacity and resources for communities in Africa and Asia.

Once again it was an engaging and enriching MasterPeace COOLTalk thanks to Hari for making it meaningful for he MasterPeace community around he world.