Wahidullah Akbari came to Switzerland from Afghanistan six years ago with his wife and three sons - quite a culture shock at first for the trained welder and his family. Finding work was difficult, not least because of the language barriers.
Last year, Akbari joined the "Refugees go Solar+" (RGS+) program, in which people from the asylum and refugee system complete a short training course in solar technology and a subsequent qualification internship at a Swiss solar company. Thanks to his professional experience and motivation, Wahidullah is now a valuable part-time employee of a solar company in the Zurich area.
Akbari's passion, however, lies in welding. In order to secure a longer-term professional perspective in Switzerland, he was given the opportunity to further his education as a welding technician within our inclusion program EmancipAID. Having passed the qualification exam, he is now ready to take on a new professional challenge.
With the "Refugees go Solar+" program, Root & Branch and Solafrica, together with partner organizations from the business and social sectors, promote the work integration of refugees within the solar industry. The project is realized with the support of the Volkart Foundation and the Mercator Foundation Switzerland.