Friday, June 17, 2011

East Africa Day 35 (Fri June 17): Solar Cookers

I took a boda over to Meghan's house this AM. She's living on a really cute block with street lights (I think I saw them - if not, then on another block in Jinja). She lives in a really cute, modern house with two other Light Gives Heat volunteers and two employees. Reminded me of an off-campus house, with bed nets of course:) I got to meet some of her housemates before we took our supplies and headed out to meet up with some of the women who make the Suubi paper necklace beads that Light Gives Heat purchases from the women and sells online and via supporters in the USA.

Light Gives Heat received a grant to teach the Suubi women how to cook their food using solar cookers. We took them to Janet's house this AM and set up the solar cookers, and put food out to cook.


photo: Lauren, a Light Gives Heat volunteer from Leeds, England, and Meghan with their solar cookers.

We then went to visit another Suubi woman who was cutting paper to make the paper beads, using a paper cutter, outside of her home. I learned that she came to Jinja from Gulu up north, where the Invisible Children have been working to stop the LRA.



We returned to Meghan's house for lunch, where I got to spend more time catching up with her fellow volunteers. We then headed back out to Janet's house to check on the food. A group of neighbors - including a cadre of kids - gathered around and helped check on the food, and then pack up the solar cookers.

I learned a lot about solar cookers - super interesting!!! And also lovely to get to meet some of the community members. I met a primary school student who dreams of being an accountant. She said her teacher told her about the career path, and that she selected it because she loves math. It was so nice to get to talk with her! Hopefully I'll see her again. This is a beautiful community - and so different from Nanyuki - really cool to get to experience such diversity in one week:)

I've also met some great people at the hostel where I'm staying right now. Pretty much everyone here is staying at the hostel while volunteering for a Jinja-based NGO.

Back to meet up with Meghan tomorrow, for more exploring in Jinja! In the meantime, loving listening to the new Matt Nathanson album, Modern Love, here! Been waiting to hear this album for months!!

5 comments:

  1. my landlord would love to connect with Meghan about the solar cooking. He wants to implement such innovations around India.

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  2. Thank you for mentioning Light Gives Heat in your blog and we are grateful that you have supported us in the past. Currently we are in a contest to win $50K with Cultivate Wines. All we need are votes. Voting goes until June 30th and votes can be casted daily. If you can please share this link in your blog www.voteLGH.com this would help us out a ton.

    thanks
    Chrissy Cnzlovar
    LGH

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    1. Hi Chrissy,
      Thanks for finding my post and for your comment! I hope the voting went well! Apologies for not getting to a post! Thanks for the work you do!
      Nicole

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  3. Hey! I was showing a friend at work solar cookers and your blog came up and I recognized the area and the cookers. I also worked with LGH in the fall of 2012 for 4 months. It's always fun to find a friend who has witnessed the amazing adventure that is Africa, and even better when you know some of the same people from there!

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    1. Hi Katie, that is too funny. I hope you had a great time volunteering wtih LGH. I am so thankful that I got to visit them when my friend Meghan was volunteering there. i hoipe you are doing well. Thanks for your comment.

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