KIGALI - Braving the heat and dust in Rwanda's southern Gisagara district, more than 100 students and teachers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) recently arrived in rural villages to install solar panels and indoor lighting systems.

For many villagers, electricity was once a luxury they had never known, while having light at night seemed like an unattainable privilege.

"Villagers used to walk one or two hours just to charge their phones at nearby shops or offices," said Kenneth Lo, a service-learning specialist from the university.

The university launched its service-learning project in Rwanda in 2013, which evolved into a solar energy initiative by 2015. Since then, the team has installed over 2,000 solar systems in rural households across eastern and southern provinces.

According to Lo, the team helped install solar panels and lighting systems in more than 500 homes in Gisagara district, covering key areas such as kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms, and courtyards.

These households received basic solar systems free of charge, including a solar panel, a controller, a battery, and three LED lights. The battery can also be used to charge mobile phones.

Providence Nikuze, a beneficiary of the solar project, told Xinhua that, aside from phone charging, the biggest challenge was children needing light to study at night.

"With electricity now available, my children can study in the evening without any trouble," she said.

She added that with lights now installed at home, daily tasks such as cooking or bathing the children after returning late from the fields have become much easier.

The initiative also aligns with the Rwandan government's broader goal of ensuring electricity access for all households.

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Jean Paul Habineza, vice-mayor of Gisagara district, said PolyU's work helps position the district as a model for practical, community-based solutions and contributes to national efforts to expand energy access.

He praised the partnership with the Hong Kong university and expressed appreciation for the strong ties between Rwanda and the Chinese government.

Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Gao Wenqi said the solar panel project aligns closely with Rwanda's goal of achieving universal electricity access and its National Strategy for Transformation II.

"Clean electricity is not only important for daily life, but also for industrialization and environmental protection. In the end, it benefits people's well-being," he said.

Gao noted that for over a decade, PolyU students have applied their knowledge in Rwanda through the service-learning program, contributing to local development and improving livelihoods.

"More importantly, they promote people-to-people exchanges and friendship between China and Rwanda. They are goodwill ambassadors and good examples of Youth of China in the New Era," he said.