From Grade 3 Dropout to Solar Innovator: 19-Year-Old Awarded Three-Year NIST Scholarship
A young innovator from Kavango West who has been producing electricity at his home using discarded materials has been given an opportunity to turn his practical talent into formal technical skills.
19-year-old Visentius Kambinda Kapumburu, from Gcwagi village, has been awarded a three-year full scholarship by the Ngato Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) to study Solar Equipment Installation and Maintenance.
Kapumburu, who left school in Grade 3, has reportedly spent about two years experimenting with ways of generating electricity at home. Using assembled positive and negative plates from old car batteries and other discarded materials, he developed a setup involving a bucket of water that produces electricity for basic household use.
His homemade system has enabled his family to light their home, charge mobile phones and operate radios, demonstrating his practical understanding of electrical concepts despite having no formal technical training.
His creativity extends beyond electricity generation. Kapumburu also built a powered toy aircraft, although the aircraft eventually flew out of control after he was unable to control it because he did not have a handheld radio-control unit.
Kapumburu’s abilities attracted the attention of NIST, whose board members visited his home on Wednesday to assess his work, technical abilities and potential.
Following the assessment, NIST announced the scholarship on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. According to the award letter read by Laurens Thabo Ortmann, Kapumburu will undergo training from Level 1 to Level 3, with the institution covering approved tuition and applicable academic fees throughout the three-year scholarship period.
His studies are scheduled to begin on 7 September 2026, with completion expected on 7 July 2028.
Ortmann said the scholarship was granted in recognition of Kapumburu’s commitment to education and his potential to successfully complete the programme.
NIST has encouraged him to maintain good academic performance, attend classes regularly and follow the institution’s rules and regulations.
The training is expected to give Kapumburu formal knowledge and practical skills in solar technology, potentially allowing him to develop his existing experiments into safer and more effective solutions for his community.
Kapumburu had previously expressed a willingness to receive training that could help develop his abilities. His story has drawn attention to the potential of young Namibians who develop technical skills outside the conventional education system.
The young innovator had also been seeking replacement light bulbs, after the bulbs powering his homemade electricity system reportedly burned out.
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