Empowering communities in The Gambia through renewable energy innovation
For civil engineering student Ramu Camara, pursuing ambitious infrastructure projects and balancing rigorous academic demands is a daily reality. Recently awarded a prestigious scholarship from the Royal Academy of Engineers, Ramu is committed not just to excelling academically but to making a tangible social impact in her native Gambia.
Identifying an urgent need for reliable, renewable energy solutions in her home country, Ramu embarked on a mission to deliver innovative projects to directly improve healthcare access, educational opportunities, and economic development. She sought specifically to avoid creating unsustainable debt for The Gambia, a principle central to her approach.
Solution
Driven by the vision of leveraging natural resources sustainably, Ramu developed a project concept centred around harnessing hydropower from water wheels placed strategically along the Gambia River—a significant natural resource in Africa’s smallest mainland country. This renewable energy solution has the potential to dramatically improve the standard of living by supplying affordable and reliable electricity to communities historically underserved by existing infrastructure.
Yet, transitioning from vision to reality presented Ramu with significant challenges, including managing investor interest, structuring the project effectively, and negotiating critical partnerships.
Heriot-Watt Support
Feeling initially challenged by the project’s magnitude, Ramu turned to Heriot-Watt University’s entrepreneurial support team. She received dedicated mentoring from business mentor Jack, whose advice was pivotal. Jack encouraged Ramu to prioritise careful planning over hasty acceptance of early investor approaches—guidance that initially surprised but ultimately reassured her. Heriot-Watt mentors offered strategic insights on timing investor engagements, ensuring long-term credibility and sustainability of her initiative.
Through Heriot-Watt, Ramu was introduced to critical industry experts, including renewable energy specialists, solar power professionals, and directors of local hydropower plants. This significantly expanded her professional network and provided crucial industry insights necessary for the project’s feasibility and eventual success.
Ramu expressed deep gratitude for the structured guidance provided:
Knowing how to proceed with my business idea felt like my number one challenge, and the guidance from Heriot-Watt was so valuable. Since working with Heriot-Watt, I have won a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Engineers—opening a world of opportunities—as well as being connected to the right people and provided with sensible, strategic guidance.
Progress and Future Ambitions
Supported by Heriot-Watt, Ramu has achieved significant progress. She has begun essential conversations with Gambian government officials, conducted initial feasibility studies, interviewed potential local and international business partners, and developed credible funding pitches.
With her Royal Academy of Engineers scholarship further bolstering her engineering credentials and project management capabilities, Ramu is ideally positioned to bring her renewable energy initiative to fruition. She remains deeply committed to her studies and project, confident in ongoing support from Heriot-Watt:
“I am able to press forward confidently with my studies and the Gambian project, knowing Heriot-Watt is there to support me. Heriot-Watt has helped put everything in place, and it is reassuring to know this support continues as I move forward.”