Serving Others, Uplifting Communities

KWH Board member Rafael Castro (Center) poses with the volunteer team during the opening of the Cheeba Energy Kiosk in 2019.

Rafael Castro joined KiloWatts for Humanity (KWH) not to fill spare time but for a much simpler yet meaningful reason.   

“About myself, I'm a regular guy,” he said. “Engineer for a living. Grew up in Portugal. Spent five years in the UK in school, and then incidentally moved to Seattle 26 years ago. I always had a desire to be a good member of the community, and... of the global community we're part of. There's plenty of people way less privileged than us, so that's generally what motivates me to do volunteering in general.”  

Rafael felt that KWH's mission was a natural extension of his career in electrical engineering and project management. And while the content of his work with KWH is much different than his experience outside of it, Rafael expressed that it is similar in structure.   

“I work on large software projects. So, I have the experience in seeing a project through, making sure we're doing things, and if there's anything that's not going well, we need to do something about it,” he explained. “The kind of project I do in my daily life is very different from the kind of projects we do at Kilowatts for Humanity. But the general skill set is similar. You have a goal, you have people, you have materials, you have vendors, subcontractors… and all of that needs to come together.”  

As a project leader and Board Member for KWH, Rafael focuses on bringing the right people together while coordinating logistics and resources.   

“It's taking people, things, and time, and money, and making sure all of that comes together for a successful installation of a system,” he said, referring to the off-grid solar systems that KWH implements. “And making sure the people that are gonna benefit from it get to enjoy it as soon as possible, and in a way also that creates long-term sustainability… not just installation, but installation that’s robust and survives the test of time.”  

One of the most important things Rafael has learned through his journey with KWH is that you have to be able to realize your limitations, especially when it comes to knowledge that is integral to creating successful systems like the ones KWH builds.   

“One of the most important things in humanitarian or development work is to realize your own ignorance,” he said. “Us over here in Seattle, we think we're making good assumptions about what's important to communities and to the people in Zambia, but that couldn't be further from the truth.”  

In order to bridge this gap, KWH works with local community and development partners that have already assimilated with the communities KWH plans to engage in. These organizations already have an understanding of the communities needs, traditions and internal dynamics. Rafael shared that working with them ensures that KWH’s work doesn’t disrupt the social structures of communities, rather, they help strengthen them.   

These partners help KWH choose communities as well as prepare them. The development model that KWH supports the growth of already existing local businesses by providing them resources and access to electricity. Local partners work with KWH to meet with these communities–such as their current site in Libala, Zambia–to understand the residents' skills, discuss how electricity can expand economic opportunities and start to provide the training necessary for business planning, accounting and reporting.  “We're just trying to allow economic development of the community via local businesses that can benefit from electricity." says Rafael.

Surveys created by KWH and administered by local partners is how KWH begins choosing a location for installation, but even after a site is decided on, KWH continues to be flexible and listen to what communities need.   

Rafael shared that in some circumstances that additional listening allows for further expansion. For example, in the community of Cheeba, the energy kiosk enabled the local businesses to grow so quickly that the Cheeba community leaders requested additional equipment.   

“They said, ‘Hey, if we could have another freezer, we could do even more business!’” Rafael recalled. “That’s exactly what we want to see.”  

For Rafael, his time with the Cheeba community is what stands out to him amongst his many experiences with KWH. On his first visit to Cheeba, Rafael and the other volunteers were welcomed by the women of the community performing a joyful dance.   

“They were like, ‘Come on, come dance with us,’” he said, laughing. “Everyone was a bit shy, but at some point we thought, ‘Okay, well, how stupid can we look?’ We went and danced with them… they were so happy to see us and we were so happy they were happy.”  

Later on during the installation period, the KWH team and Rafael projected The Jungle Book onto the kiosk wall for the children in Cheeba, most of whom had never seen a movie before.   

Children in Cheeba enjoy a viewing of The Jungle Book, powered by the energy kiosk

“It really puts things in perspective for you,” Rafael said. “Compared to my kids, we spend more time flicking through what we want to see on Netflix… It’s just a huge abundance of simple things that are so foreign to kids in these communities.”  

When reflecting on his work with KWH, Rafael reflects excitement and humility. He says there is great gratification in seeing a year or two’s worth of work fully developed and while the hope is that those resources prove to be transformative, it is presumptuous to assume so.   

At the same time Rafael also reflects on the difference between his life in Seattle and the communities that KWH serves.   

“We're really giving them so little compared to the luxury we have here,” he said. “It feels like a big thing for them, but… I hope I could give them double.”  

Rafael's hope mirrors the KWH mission: that bringing energy to communities allows them to expand their resources and uplifts opportunities for future generations.