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Voices from the Field: Our First Solar Fellows!

Hey! It’s Linda, Lucas, Nick, and Sarah, the CWS Solar Fellows. After arriving to Tamale, we were surprised with a scavenger hunt around the city to get to know the locals, places, and culture on a more intimate level. During the 2 hour time frame, we ran around the market looking for things like dried hibiscus flowers, one calabash, and one piece of fabric with the U.S. flag on it. We then went around the Cultural Center trying to convince locals to dance with us to Pharell’s “Happy” while being recorded on video. Next, we needed to take a picture on the Tamale Football Stadium field. We discovered upon arrival that the Ghana vs. Sierra Leone game was in session and wondered how to cross that off the checklist. After sweet-talking the guard, he allowed us to watch the game from the field. Nick's Happy Shimmy

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Team Solar!: Linda, Lucas, Nick, and Linda at the Tamale Soccer Stadium

Yesterday, we headed out to the field for this first time this trip! We visited Sakpalua, where we monitored both the water and solar businesses, which are run by four women, including the two water entrepreneurs Lydia and Damu. Unfortunately, Damu was unable to meet with us because she was in another village attending a funeral. In particular, it was great for Nick to be back in the village that he implemented on his first Fellowship. He played mancala with the children and hung out with his friends Simeon, Zizu, and the Pastor. He also got to take a picture in front of the CWS sign with the children of Sakpalua. 

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It was the first time that any of us were able to see an implemented solar charging center and it was great to see that everything has been running smoothly. The women seemed to be in good spirits and had been doing a great job of keeping track of sales at the business. When we asked if there had been any problems at the center, they did mention a suspicious “whirring” noise coming from the Genset. After thinking about it for a few seconds, we realized that what they were talking about was the fan that keeps all of the components cool. When we explained this to the women, they were very relieved and let us know that there weren’t any other issues with the center.

After monitoring households in Sakpalua, we made the short drive to Wambong – another CWS solar village. The entrepreneurs in Wambong had been experiencing good sales as well, and the households we monitored said they enjoyed having easing and affordable access to cell phone charging. As in Sakpalua we monitored the households for water as well and were encouraged to hear so many stories of improved health for families and their children.

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After a successful first day in the field, we had the chance to learn how the components of the solar center worked and how everything should be connected. This made us all really excited for tomorrow, as it will be our first day in Yepalsi, where will be spending the next few weeks implementing a new solar charging business.

CWS Live on Kesmi FM 107.1 Tamale

 

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Chris Anieze of Kesmi FM 107.1

TAMALE, GHANA – Last Friday May 2, 2014, Chris Anieze, a talk show host and entertainment specialist from Kesmi FM 107.1,  invited West Africa Regional Director, Brianán and Assistant Project Manager, Shak of Community Water Solutions to come in for a live interview. The radio station had recently visited Kuntalaga, a community in the Sagnarigu district of the Northern Region, and was shocked to see what the community is drinking for water. Kesmi FM invited CWS to the studio to inform them of the community and to hear more about the CWS approach. Check out the live  recording below to find out more!

 


 

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Shak and Brianán before the interview!

 

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Ibrahim, Shak and Brianán after the interview

Two Week Fall Fellowship!

Back by popular demand— a TWO WEEK FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM!

Recently, we have received many requests from people asking about a two week fellowship program in Ghana. Some of these people have told us that they have gotten a two-week trip pre-approved by their company, others are in the midst of a career change and looking for an adventure before getting back to the 9 to 5. Some even have enough vacation time built up and are looking to spend it making a lasting difference in a community!

CWS is pumped about the enthusiasm for another program and with that being said having an exciting announcement…

This November 5th to 19th 2014 we will be hosting a two week fellowship program in Ghana!

How are we able to cut the program down to two weeks?

▪We cut out the bus travel. Everyone will fly into Accra, and then fly up to Tamale! The flights are much more expensive than the bus which is why the cost ($2,950) of the program will not differ from the longer Fellowships.

▪We will do orientation here in the States! We will host webinars to go over the Orientation portion of the program. We will work around your schedules to set up three, one hour meeting where we will meet over a webinar to get you the training needed!

▪You will be put in to your teams prior to arrival in Ghana. So, once you arrive, you will hit the ground running! After only 1 day of field orientation and some additional training, you will be started your project in a new community!

The program will take place from November 5th to 19th and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Apply today, hear back from us by the end of the week, coordinate your plans and start fundraising! The earlier you apply the more time you will have to fundraise!

Want to learn more about this special two-week program and how you can make it work with your work schedule? Join us for a virtual info session on May 14th at 7pm EST. Register online here!