Despa! (“Good Morning!” in Dagbani – the language used by the villagers I am working with)

Welcome to my first post in a series that will cover my trip to rural Ghana where I will be implementing a solar business that will bring inexpensive and clean energy to a village currently lacking access to electricity. I have to travel to make these posts so there may be a bit of a delay between them; you will notice this first one covers the initial six days of my experience. My goals for this project are to gain first hand experience implementing a solar system in a rural village and to learn how the non-for-profit I am working with developed both solutions and an approach within this particular field of clean energy. I will share these findings as well as stories as things unfold!

Days 1-6:
Landed in Accra! (pronounced uh-crah) Spent the night bunking alongside others that will be implementing the solar business.

Accra is on the coast of Ghana and our group is headquartered in Tamale which is a not-so-short bus ride to Tamale in the northern region: 12 hours! We are staying in a friendly community that resembles an overnight summer camp compound. The main difference is the intense combination of heat, humidity, and a beating sun. It’s summer in this tropical savanna so this is to be expected. It is also the rainy season and we witnessed some deluges during the bus ride.

We had a few days of orientation in order to become familiar with each other and to prepare for the work we will be doing. I learned that the cohort of translators that are native to this region and are also full-time staff in this non-for-profit are essential to the organization’s mechanics. They are the ones who scout the villages, speak the native language, monitor the businesses, collect data, and so much more! This was a HUGE revelation for me! Their title as “translators” does NOT do them justice.

Yesterday, we paid our first visit to a village to monitor their equipment and use of a solar system that has already been implemented by this non-for-profit. The villagers are so gracious and kind. The women are strong and sure, the men are collected and attentive, and the children are curious and playful. This was also the day that we hooked-up and tested our solar system at the office.

Today was a very important day. We arrived early to our village – Moya. This is a community of subsistence farmers who told us they never have had access to electricity. We sat down with almost the entire community – men, women, and children – to discuss their current energy situation, i.e. battery-powered flashlights, use of kerosene for lanterns, and to ask them if they would like to work with us to develop a solar charging center and business that would be run by two women respected and selected by their community. There seems to be a consensus buy-in from the entire village and I was happy to see that each person seems interested in the prospect. It was a lively conversation and our translator TJ was the true hero of the day. Working with the community will help to ensure that the business is implemented in a culturally sensitive way that does not disrupt the structure of the community.

I need to take a moment to talk about our translator TJ. He is an extremely bright and resourceful guy. He speaks seven languages and seems to know everyone around town. On our rides to the villages he is often hollering at people on the side of the road. He used to be called Romeo in high school. He said he would tell me why later, but I’m pretty sure he had and has a highly successful social life. He’s also very protective of us. Tamale and the villages are not rough places. In fact, people here are generally kind and welcoming. But he’s welcomed us with open arms and has thoughtfully kept us in conversations in the villages.

That’s it! Pictures still to come! It’s been very tough to get internet access. I’m hoping to find a new place to connect to the internet.

Thanks for dropping in!
John

Tags: Saha, Solar