Fr Servilien Ufitamahoro, Director of the Salesian Planning and Development Office, emphasised the need for this modernisation, pointing out that previously the Centre had ‘struggled to maintain a constant power supply within our complex due to limited resources’; a situation that made daily operations difficult.
To resolve these issues, the Centre collaborated with a specialist company to implement modern technologies, which led to the installation of 24 solar panels and two advanced batteries.
The project has already produced measurable results. Solar energy now accounts for 30% of the electricity used by the Centre, leading to what Fr Ufitamahoro describes as a ‘significant improvement in our daily operations’. In addition to the immediate logistical benefits, the initiative represents a commitment to environmental protection. Fr Ufitamahoro emphasised that in the light of climate change, the adoption of renewable energy is essential to better care for the environment.
Looking to the future, the Director expressed his hope that the Kigali Reception Centre will be able to switch to 100% solar energy.
‘My hope is that, God willing, we will be able to switch to 100% solar energy at this centre in the near future,’ said Don Servilien Ufitamahoro. ‘Once again, we thank Missioni Don Bosco in Turin for their continued support and great dedication to our mission in the Africa Great Lakes Province (AGL),’ he concluded.
