Bethel and BBCDC

Home Base for the Solar Turbine Group

The Solar Turbine Group is based at the Bethel Business and Community Development Center (BBCDC) in Bethel, Lesotho, a small town South East of the capital, Maseru, deep in the rural mountains.



To get to Bethel from Maseru (one of the main entry points to Lesotho, and also the location of the World Bank office and one of our partners ATS), we travel along paved roads for about 2 ½ hours to a town called Mohale’s Hoek. From Mohale’s Hoek, the paved road continues South East along the Sanqu River. Bethel, however, is on the other side of the river. Therefore, we must cross the river just past Mohale’s Hoek, and continue on the West side of the river on dirt and rock roads to Bethel. The journey on the dirt roads is another bone-jarring 2 ½-hour drive (with absolutely breath-taking views of the mountains of Lesotho, by the way). Alternatively, if we are taking minitaxis from Maseru, we continue along the paved road from Mohale’s Hoek to a town called Mt. Moorosi, which is just across the Sanqu River from Bethel. We then procede by tin boat across the Sanqu.

Sanqu River (from the Bethel Side)

River Crossing at Mount Moorosi

From the River, we hike up and over a town called Ha Teboho, to finally reach Bethel.

Bethel from Ha Teboho

This is a view of Bethel from Ha Teboho. The gray building way off in the distance is the mission at Bethel. BBCDC is in the trees just to the left of the mission, while the town of Bethel is just to the right of the mission.

BBCDC is a post-high school school, where Basotho students learn all sorts of vocational / life skills with a sustainability focus, and the campus itself is a working model of its teachings. The topics taught include:

Solar Energy Technology in Buildings

Pictured above: A small house in BBCDC with
a small PV panel and a solar water heater



Sustainable agriculture (“permaculture”)
and water and irrigation topics

Carpentry

Pictured Above: Ivan Yaholnitsky, a teacher at BBCDC

Other topics tought include: Business, metal working, hospitality, and some others.

BBCDC not only teaches about sustainable practices, but it is a working model, a living workshop of these sustainable practices. This environment, the experience and insight of the founder and teacher at the school, Ivan, and the interaction with the students, staff and their families makes BBCDC a very inspirational place to collaborate and work on solar energy technology for rural areas. We are very lucky to have found such a place!