Sol
Power Benefit videos
SOL
POWER BENEFIT
On March 1st 2008, the Sol Power Benefit was held outside on a typically
chilly San Francisco Sunday. That was the only element to be chilly; the
generous donations by the musicians, dj, poets, culinary wizards, exhibitors,
and the overall ambience were all ‘cooking’ with maximum warmth
The purpose was to contribute to the goal of sending three PONA representatives
to Nigeria to introduce solar power to the village of Ikot Usen, Akwa
Ibom State.
SOLAR/SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT
In mid-June 2008 Horgan Edet, Tony Moses, Arisa Itami and Sven Wiederholt
journeyed to Ikot Usen to do two projects. One was the Solar/Scholarship
Program, conceived by Sven: 500 solar powered
torches were made available, the proceeds from their sales to launch
a scholarship fund for the secondary school. In the process, the students
become fluent in the practical application of solar energy. In their making
contact with villagers and businesses, others also are engaged in the
concept and how it relates to the future of their community. The scholarship
fund will provide continuing opportunities after secondary school graduation,
in academics or to start an eco-conscious business. Delivery of the lights
for the project was delayed, holding up some of the plans; eventually,
a partial delivery was made.
Approximately 300 secondary school students, faculty, village chiefs and
local government officials gathered for our presentation about solar energy.
Tony Moses explained how solar energy worked and demonstrated its application,
using the solar flash lights and solar panels we brought. The partial
solar light delivery was then distributed to students and some faculty.
A few days later those students brought back their money from light sales
and essays about their experiences explaining solar energy to people in
the community. Unfortunately, the number of students was not as high as
we had hoped because of the delayed delivery of the lights and a teachers
strike at the school.
With the final solar torch delivery, a total of 630 lights were made available
for the Solar/Scholarship Program. Horgan’s family in Ikot Usen
is the caretaker, governing the subsequent sales to benefit the village
and scholarship fund.
ORIGAMI PROJECT
The second project was developed by a Japanese gallery owner from New
York, Arisa Itami, who taught origami paper folding to Ikot Usen elementary
school students. Arisa taught origami to approximately 50 students for
a few hours each day for one week in the village. At the end of the week
she organized an exhibition of the work done by the students for their
parents. Both students and teachers were enthusiastic about the project
and the students did great work.
