WE CARE Solar

Nigeria continues to hold a magical spell on me. No matter how gloomy I feel in the U.S., I am always energized by my connections to friends and colleagues in this fascinating country. This trip, I spent time teaching ethnographic techniques to research fellows at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH). We decided to expand our research efforts by initiating a participatory research process with Kogan Gayan hospital staff.

We're beginning to register people for our Solar Intensive Class, taught by our own co-founder Hal Aronson, Solar Designer and Installer Mike Strykowski, and assisted by our co-founder Laura Stachel. This is a hands-on solar intensive for five days in March, and is geared towards people working in off-grid regions or regions without reliable electricity. It will introduce participants to solar design and installation for off-grid systems, and includes plenty of hands-on experience and practice.

The week unfolded seamlessly. We made the decision to light up the hospital pediatrics ward on Wednesday, and by Friday we had accomplished our goal! Using the solar suitcase I delivered as a foundation, we purchased a 40 watt solar panel in the city of Kaduna, as well as two small batteries and enough wire to permanently install lights along the ceiling of the Pediatrics ward. As the sun receded into the horizon, we were able to flick on the lights to the delight of the hospital staff, who now were assured that they could conduct their job with reliable lighting.

This is my very first time accessing internet since I arrived in Nigeria six days ago. So much to share!
The four hospital solar electric systems were functioning well, and on this trip I brought equipment to increase the safety of each system by adding circuit breakers for the batteries, and boxes to hold the circuit breakers in place. I reviewed the hospital records and learned that the maternal mortality rate in the hospital is one-third of what it was in the past.

I just returned to Nigeria to continue my evaluation of the solar equipment that we have been piloting in Northern Kaduna state. I brought two new solar suitcases with me, which I'll be bringing to local primary health care facilities, and I'll be interviewing health care providers about their experiences with solar powered light and communication.

WE CARE Solar team member Melissa Ho has been working on health care telecommunications in Uganda this year. She will be field testing a solar suitcase in one of the health care facilities in Southwest Uganda. When we learned that our colleague in San Francisco was heading out to Uganda this weekend, co-founder Hal Aronson quickly assembled a solar-powered lighting and charging station for Melissa to bring to the health facility. On the way, we'll be introducing the solar electric system to UNICEF staff in Uganda who asked to try out the suitcase for themselves.

We’re eager to improve the design of our most popular item – the solar suitcase. We have receive requests for solar electrification from clinics all over the world – from Borneo to the Amazon to the Congo, and have been invited to participate in a wide range of health care projects. Clearly, the prospect of reliable light and communication has struck an important nerve for health providers around the globe.

When California high school teacher, Tim McDougal, attended Laura Stachel's presentation on WE CARE Solar at the 2009 Solar Schoolhouse Summer Institute, he was spurred into action. “I watched the video about WE CARE Solar and got chocked up,” he recounted. “The reality of the situation in Nigeria hit me squarely.” At first, Tim thought “good for her, using her knowledge to help,” but by the end of the presentation he began to imagine how his own personal experience and education could enable him to get involved.

Plugged In, the Boston-based non-profit teen band program, held a successful live benefit concert for WE CARE Solar on August 8th. Eight youth bands rocked the night away to raise funds for safe motherhood, as a slide show of Nigerian children and street life ran continuously on the side. I gave a presentation on maternal health care in Nigeria, informing teens and their parents about the challenges facing poor Nigerian rural families in urgent need of health care.

Teens across the country are combining their skills to save mothers and babies in Africa. The innovative Boston teen band organization "Plugged In" has chosen to hold a rock concert to benefit WE CARE Solar. One young musician, Mitchell Therieau, heard the NHPR radio interview about our work (visit www.nhpr.org/node/25951) and successfully pitched our cause to members of eight youth bands performing with Plugged In this summer .