Backwell employees help Ethiopians harness solar power

TWO employees from a Backwell business travelled to Ethiopia to install solar power at a medical centre.

Krystian Sordyl, thermal technical manager at Solarsense, and sales surveyor Nigel Walker, installed solar panels to power a medical fridge freezer unit used for vaccinations at the Beso rural medical clinic.

The equipment was purchased by Bristol charity For-Ethiopia with money raised by Bradgate Surgery in Brentry, Bristol, and various fund-raising initiatives by Solarsense paid for the installation trip to Africa.

The Solarsense team also trained nine local people in managing the system and how it works.

Krystian Sordyl said: “The rest of our time in the village was taken up with football matches, cricket, puppet games, and a visit to the local church, as well as lots of coffee ceremonies in the original land of coffee – which helped to speed up the work process a bit in the dry exhausting heat.

“We were also welcomed very warmly to the local school, with a traditional dance of welcome. The people were super friendly, and I’d love to go back there for longer.”

Solarsense uses a percentage of its gross profits to fund projects using solar systems to improve sanitation, health or social facilities in Africa and India. Each year it carries out an overseas charity project.