At the moment the light bulb lit up, everyone present applauded, "said Rivaldo. The children have learned the principle of solar power generation in school, but no one has actually seen it. ”His wife Ella said, "Now solar power generation equipment has been installed at home, which has changed our lives!" The Rivaldo family lives in the village of Colonia, which is only seven or eight kilometers away from  Sao Tome and Principe (hereinafter referred to as "Sao Tome"), the capital of Sao Tome and Principe. This island nation is located in the Gulf of Guinea in western Africa, about 200 kilometers away from the African continent, with a population of about 240000. Its electricity mainly comes from two thermal power plants and two hydroelectric power plants, with a perennial power shortage of nearly 40%. In September 2023, China announced the launch of the "African Light Belt" project at the first Africa Climate Summit, planning to help solve the electricity problems of nearly 50000 households in Africa through photovoltaic technology assistance and clean energy infrastructure construction. In June 2025, Shengpu received 3100 sets of household solar photovoltaic power generation systems with assistance from China. The Rivaldo family was one of the earliest beneficiaries of this project. In the depths of the coconut groves, the days have become much livelier. As we head south along the coastline from Sao Tome, at first, the wooden poles along the roadside are densely packed with electric wires. After driving for seven or eight kilometers, as dense vegetation "swallowed" the road, the power poles disappeared without a trace. Through the path of palm groves, cocoa trees, and coconut trees, the outline of the tall wooden house gradually became clear. This is the village of Colonia. Colonia Village is located by the sea and is known as the 'Coastal Village'. The high legged wooden houses in the village have a simple shape, with most of the bottom floors stacked with agricultural tools and miscellaneous items, and the upper floors built with wooden boards as walls and iron sheets as roofs. The newly installed solar panels on the roof reflect dazzling light in the sunlight, becoming the most distinctive modern imprint in the village. Kolonia Village has only 24 households, and the cost-effectiveness of connecting to the power grid is not high. It has not been electrified before. The solar photovoltaic equipment provided by the "African Light Belt" project has achieved stable and affordable electricity supply in remote areas far from the main power grid through off grid distributed solar energy systems, meeting the basic electricity needs of communities. In August 2025, Chinese technicians brought solar panels, inverters and other equipment to install solar photovoltaic power generation systems for all households in the village. From then on, the villagers lived the long-awaited "electricity" life for many years. With these solar photovoltaic devices, we can watch TV and listen to the radio, and finally the night is no longer pitch black! ”The oldest old man in the village, Da Te Sen Da, exclaimed excitedly. Entering the old man's wooden house, I saw an inverter with energy storage function on the table. The white body was printed with the words "China Climate Change South South Cooperation Project", and the red "China Aid" logo below was particularly eye-catching. The appliances at home are all purchased after installing solar photovoltaic equipment, "he said. Previously, high-power appliances had to rely on diesel generators, which were noisy and expensive. According to Diodote Lima, an engineer from the Infrastructure Department of Sao Tome and Principe, a 300 watt household photovoltaic system can stably provide nearly 1 kilowatt hour of electricity per day under most sunlight conditions. It can support charging of communication devices such as mobile phones, as well as ensuring power supply for appliances such as fans, radios, and televisions. During the interview, a burst of cheerful African drum music came through. Following the sound, the villager Santiago is dancing to the rhythm of the music, and the speaker next to him is connected to a solar powered system. Listening to music and working is the only way to be satisfied! "The young man finished speaking, picked up the tree climbing buckle, and climbed up the palm tree with a few beats to the drum. The blade grazed the trunk, and the plump palm fruit rustled down." Now we can also work and dance at night, and our days are much livelier! "Since the launch of the" African Light Belt "project, more than 200 households in Sao Tome and Principe have been installed with solar photovoltaic power generation systems. It is expected that by May of this year, the project will cover 924 households in 37 communities in Sao Tome and Principe. This project has solved the electricity problem in areas where the fixed power grid cannot cover, allowing villagers to bid farewell to the history of no electricity and greatly improve their sense of happiness, "Lima said. At the foot of the mountains, there is hope for development. Leaving the coast, cars crawl into the rainforest along winding mountain roads and arrive at the village of Mikondo deep in the mountains. The tall wooden houses here are more scattered, and the villagers are mostly elderly and children. The dense vegetation makes the village almost isolated from the outside world. But the solar panels on the roof tell people that the light has illuminated the night here. Previously, due to long-term power shortages, most of the young and middle-aged people in the village went out to make a living, leaving the elderly to guard the land where their ancestors lived. We have lived here for generations, "said Carlos, pointing to a moss covered brick and stone building in the village. Because the prime meridian intersects with the equator here, it is also known as the "origin of the world". Shengpu has an area of about 1000 square kilometers and abundant sunshine resources, but has long been plagued by energy shortages. During the interview, the reporter found that the power outage in Sao Tome lasted for several hours every day. In the National Museum of History, staff often explain to visitors in the dark. Coffee is one of the main economic crops in Saint Pierre, but even in the National Coffee Museum, coffee machines often fail to operate due to lack of electricity. Hotels in the capital also have to rely on self provided fuel generators to maintain their operations, and the use of high-power equipment such as air conditioning has to be restricted. Nearly ten thousand households in Shengpu are short of electricity nationwide, and villages like Mikondo, located in mountainous areas, are still mostly without electricity to this day. As one of the core measures of China Africa cooperation in addressing climate change, the "African Light Belt" project accurately meets the development needs of Sao Tome and Principe. Sao Tome and Principe has abundant sunshine and hydropower resources, but the energy structure is mainly based on fossil fuels, which seriously restricts the country's development. "Sao Tome and Principe's Minister of Infrastructure, Cardozo, said that the country has set a goal of achieving 50% renewable energy by 2030." The 'African Belt' project is highly compatible with our sustainable development strategy, providing important support for the construction of the national energy matrix and valuable experience for the development of renewable energy in the country. "Chinese Ambassador to Sao Tome and Principe, Xu Yingzhen, said:" The landing of the 'African Belt' project not only illuminates the lives of the Sao Tome and Principe people, but also brings bright prospects for cooperation between the two countries. "The convergence of light and cooperation warms the small island of Rorash, south of Sao Tome and Principe in Africa, which is the closest to the 'world origin'. The place. In front of the "World Origin" monument on the island, tourists pose for photos and capture unforgettable moments with their cameras. We have unique attractions such as the 'World Origin' island of Rorash, Blue Lake, and Black Beach, but the outdated infrastructure affects the length of stay for international tourists, and many tourists leave after visiting the main attractions. ”Cecilia, the head of a travel agency on Sao Tome Island, said that electricity shortage is the biggest bottleneck restricting the development of the local tourism industry. She, who has studied in China before, is full of expectations for Africa China cooperation: "China's solar energy technology has shown us the potential for development, and we hope that Sao Tome and Principe and China can carry out more clean energy cooperation." Access to electricity is one of the important indicators of sustainable development goals and an important area of South South cooperation on climate change. By August 2025, China has cooperated with seven African countries, including Chad, Sao Tome, Togo, Burundi, Gabon, Nigeria and Seychelles, and provided free assistance to about 20000 sets of solar power generation equipment. Song Jing, an energy project researcher at the World Resources Institute, said that the value of the "African Light Belt" project goes far beyond solving household electricity needs. The project focuses on renewable energy and pays more attention to meeting the multi-level needs of African countries' development. In addition to household electricity, the project also focuses on productive electricity consumption such as agricultural labor to increase the household income of the population without electricity. During the delivery of the equipment for the "African Light Belt" project, the Chinese technical team also taught local engineers installation and maintenance skills step by step. I learned equipment installation skills from Chinese engineers. I was very happy to see that the villagers were satisfied with the equipment we installed, "said local engineer Marcos Silva, who participated in the installation skills training." This training opportunity is too valuable. I will continue to work with my colleagues to bring these devices to more remote villages, bringing electricity and hope to people's lives. "" China's help is comprehensive. ”Lima said that China not only dispatched technical teams to provide on-site guidance for installation, but also invited African officials, experts, and technicians to China for training and participate in climate change themed seminars. "Only by enabling technical personnel to master professional skills can these 'small but beautiful' projects exert greater value and achieve sustainable development." As a vivid practice of South South cooperation between China and Africa in addressing climate change, the "African Belt" project is a witness to China Africa friendship and a microcosm of South South cooperation. The children in Colonia village are reading and writing under the lights; The elderly in Mikondo Village hope that the village will have industries after the electrification, attracting young people to return home; Cecilia looks forward to the solution of the power shortage problem, the continuous development of infrastructure construction, and the increasing number of international tourists visiting Sao Tome and Principe... The "African Light Belt" project carries people's aspirations for a better life and the desire for China and Africa to work together for development. China has always been our reliable partner, providing us with support in various fields such as agriculture, healthcare, and infrastructure. Now, in the field of new energy, it has once again brought us hope for development. ”Cardozo said, "The 'African Light Belt' project is another example of Africa China cooperation, and we believe that practical cooperation between the two sides will bear more fruits in the future