Grassroots Projects

We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with the project manager, Patrick, from a US NGO and a film maker, Diana. The US NGO is the organization that provided most of the funding for the wind turbine and large solar panels at Bishop Abiero. Before that, the girls had to study using kerosene lanterns and even that was iffy as fuel had to be purchased. We had applied for this grant in 2012 while we were PCVs at the school  We got the money for it right before we left and were able to get the work done in a month. Unfortunately, we then left and were not around to monitor what was happening.

The solar panels have worked out very well and so did the wind turbine until exceptionally high winds knocked it down twice. The first time, Access Energy, the company that had built and installed the turbine, and the school paid to fix the turbine and re-erect it. The second time it was not fixed as the school did not have the money to fix it and Access Energy had sold the wind turbine part of their business The turbine lay broken on the ground for many months, In the meantime, the US NGO was using this project as a showpiece for fundraising and planned to send a filmmaker to make a short film about it. When we learned about all of these events (we were still in Ghana then), Mel did a lot of groundwork to try to come up with a solution. Access Energy agreed to supply a loaner wind turbine so filming could be done and we all started to look for a long term solution.

Diana and Patrick came to Bishop Abiero on Friday and Saturday to do a lot of interviews of the students and principal and do the filming. It was very exciting for the students as they had never been exposed to anything similar. Diana needed a "star" for the film and I suggested a beautiful articulate girl, Pacifica, who is in the math club. Now we are trying to get the wind turbine fixed permanently so that the students can sell the extra power generated to help pay their school fees. Unfortunately, the new wind turbine company is being very greedy and difficult.

Diana and Patrick looked at some other projects while they were here and we went with them on Sunday to visit a project called Grow Strong, a grassroots organization that uses local resources and traditional knowledge to improve local food security. It was started by a Kenyan, Malaki, and his American wife Amy, a former PCV. They teach local people how to do beekeeping, grow hardy crops using local seeds and are now branching out into teaching grade school children how to raise rabbits for food. It was a fascinating excursion and we hoped to visit there again.

At Bishop Abiero at the principal's house. James works with us on math initiatives and also served as the driver for Patrick and Diana

The cook at Bishop Abiero

Diana filming the principal. Pacifica and another student watching.

The new principal, Helen Juma.

The wind turbine being re-erected

Two of Madame Ruth's kids. Madame Ruth teaches at Bishop Abiero. The smallest girl and her brother are twins born when we were here before.

Madame Ruth and all of her kids

Laundry day at Bishop Abiero

A Christian revival was also held on Saturday. The girls especially enjoy the drumming and singing.

These pictures were taken on Sunday during our visit to Grow Strong

Amy and Malaki

One of the bunnies they are raising

Famous rocks that look like they will fall at any moment but never do or haven't yet- on the way to Bondo. We have seen these many times but have always been in crowded matatus and couldn't get a picture.