As the first student Social Entrepreneur in the Hunt Institute’s Social Enterprise Program, Mohammed Njie joined the Cohort in 2021 and is setting a precedent for dedicated, young entrepreneurship.
Mohammed was born and raised in The Gambia, a country in Western Africa, and has witnessed energy poverty firsthand. He attended high school at one of the few schools with electricity, and seeing students at other institutions without access to the same vital resources inspired him to make a difference in this area.
He is currently conducting research on efficient renewable energy systems that can be used to alleviate energy poverty in developing countries. Mohammed founded Janta Clean Energy with the intention of providing The Gambia with reliable, clean energy. A vision of his is to see all of Africa having access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy during his lifetime.
“I think it is important to realize that here at the Institute we are involved in a lot of projects where we can impact the lives of a lot of different people,” Mohammed said. “For their sake, it is very important that we push through…they are waiting for us.”
Mohammed initiated a pilot project called Innovation inTintinto on his last trip to The Gambia that installed solar panels in rural schools, tested capacity, and determined which elements are needed to enhance students’ academic experience. His second project Illuminating Tintinto expanded on these elements and installed additional panels for Tintinto Primary and Secondary School. Now, centered around these innovative solutions, his current project titled STEM Up Phase II is working to design and implement Wi-Fi-generating computer carts in local schools.
All the while, Mohammed is currently a senior at Southern Methodist University working toward a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and has been recognized as a Grand Challenges Scholar, winner of SMU’s Big Ideas, and is also part of the SMU Incubator.
Discussing his motivation for impact work as a social entrepreneur he said,“My passion for the work I do started when I was young. When you experience the problems you are trying to solve, it becomes personal. So as a young boy, I made it my life’s mission to help solve some of the problems I experienced growing up. So many people are in poverty because they do not have an opportunity. I want to change that.”
The December, Mohammed will be showcasing his work in the Institute’s Impact Forum along with other 2020 & 2021 Social Enterprise Cohorts.
More posts about Mohammed Njie:
December 15, 2019: “2019 Social Enterprise Cohort”
February 28, 2020: “Mohammed Njie – Travel Feature”
July 1, 2020: “Hunt Institute’s First Student Social Entrepreneur”
November 9, 2020: “Innovation in Tintinto, The Gambia”
December 15, 2020: “2020 Social Enterprise Cohort”
April 13, 2021: “Illuminating Tintinto | Hunt Institute’s Project for SMU Giving Day 2021”
April 14, 2021: “2021 SMU Giving Day: The Power of One Person’s Vision”
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