Nothing like a weekend in Lomé to generate an even deeper appreciation for my lovely Kpalimé…and to remind me both how poor and underdeveloped Togo really is, but also why I love this country so much.
Lomé is filthy. Open sewers line the dusty streets, clogged not only with human and g-d knows what else’s excrement, but plastic bags, cans and months (if not years…) of an overpopulated city’s worth of garbage. Driving past the lagoon you almost have to hold your breath, the smell of waste and rot is so potent…and just across the street, children run around barefoot (or naked if they’re not so lucky,) rilfing through heaps of trash in the hopes of finding 100CFA buried in the sand or a piece of scrap metal or broken electronic to resell. Everything moves. Everything makes noise.
Life in Lomé is twice/three-times as expensive as in any village or town in Togo. Life is difficult and dusty and dirty and hot. And yet everyone wants to come here, live here, be able to tell their frères and soeurs that they live in the capital. Like much of the world, the city reek of opportunity, growth, modernization and purpose, but Lomé is a bizarre paradox of these qualities, having crumbled to its knees in the past 20 years due to the pathetic loss of all foreign aid. It is tragic in the full sense of the word, it is hard to see and it breaks my heart.
Because the pride is still there. Everyone is always smiling and life moves goes on with laughter and love, pure joy, of life. Togo is a special place and despite my continually rising cynicism for international development, the culture of aid and “good governance,” I will never give up hope for the Togolese people – because they are the most wonderful and resilient that I have ever known. Despite my increasingly angry intolerance for the “Hiss Yovo VA!” (Come here white girl!) and gangs of voleurs and bandits that burn holes in my backpack with their eyes…we should all take a few lessons from the Togolese on how to enjoy life and good plate of fufu. And they know it! They take pride in their “accueil” (welcoming) and take the corruption of their government and society, which trickles down to every radio emission and every sale at the marché, in stunning stride.
Sometimes I completely freak out about what I am trying to do here…the fact that I went to get my recepissé from the Minister of Decentralization and his aide, M. Honore, who walks with a limp and an overconfident flicker in his beady eyes, with whom I left the complete file 9 months ago, hasn’t even looked at it yet…but agreed to take a peek if I gave him 15,000CFA (about $40) and, if I was really interested in getting a receipt for this, I should slip another 10,000 in there for good measure.
The fact that uploading this very blog is such a production…which I am writing in word while waiting for the page the upload…ever so slowly…I am at one of the cyber cafés in Kpalimé right now (the only one worth paying for…haha), just finished waiting out a “baisse de tension” aka the opposite of a power surge where all of the computers go down and we wait patiently (or not so patiently…) for them to first turn back on and second for internet connection to come back…
But those are only material, immediate things. It is difficult to be so deeply enmeshed in my project and my field work knowing that I am here only for a month, that my other life is waiting for me (and important work and contacts and projects and emails and proposals and applications and meetings) and that this duplicity is constantly pulling at me. Obliging complicated and painful thoughts about the true meaning of commitment and success of this venture.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
12-13 August 2009: Club Rotary de Kpalimé
The Kpalimé Rotary club has 6 members. They meet every Wednesday at 7pm at Hotel Cristal, in the bar, where 6 plastic chairs are placed in a circle around a 3 small tables pushed together. When I arrived for the meeting, which I had been invited to 2 days earlier by Ephram, the first Togolese Rotarian that I found (or rather, was introduced to me by a friend at FECECAV) the electricity had already been out for about 30 minutes and people were milling about the hotel lobby with cellphones and flashlights. People always seem to speak more quietly and move more slowly when there is a coupure.
In the bar, a small and empty room off of the lobby, the Rotarians started to trickle in at about 7:15. Soon the Rotary bell was placed on the table and the now familiar practice of hand shaking, snapping, nodding and comment cava-ing took place. I find it very special that no matter where in the world you find yourself, in Collegeville, PA or in Kpalimé, Togo, you can find this Rotary bell and the same vibe of comradery and routine.
The president of the club is Angelique, a friendly yet reserved woman who owns and operates a restaurant near Petit Suisse called Le Gourmet. Out of the 6 members, I was very surprised to learn that 3 are women! And even more surprised when I was introduced to Angelique as the president – who ever said that African Rotary clubs are not progressive have never been to Kpalimé.
All members of the club arrived at the meeting in full Rotary garb – meaning they were all dressed in shirts made from “Rotary Pagnes” (yes this exists! They are yellow, blue and red, covered with Rotary symbolism and stamped with District 9100) and carrying folders with Rotary logos. I pointed at my Rotary pin and felt embarrassed that I had completely forgotten to bring them the Collegeville Club flag…(I will have to mail this to them at some later date.)
With 6 flashlights pointed directly at my face, Angelique introduced me to club (Ephram has introduced me to her before the meeting) and then went, in archetypal Togolese fashion, on to her agenda, whose procedure appeared even more exaggerated than l normally perceive them at such gatherings, when combined with the formalities of Rotary (can you imagine? ) I squinted and smiled, introducing myself as Kira Costanza, Club Rotary de Collegeville, Pennsylvanie, classification Energie Solaire.
Angelique started with “Pensees du Jour” (Thoughts of the Day), and when no one answered, I decided that they should know now rather than later that when no one speaks up, it will always be me! I thanked them for inviting me and said something about being excited to tell them about my ideas for partnership between my club and theirs. Angelique then recounted the birthdays of members of the club that had taken place that week – none – while the others around the table chatted amongst themselves. Angelique then moved on to the next item on her agenda but was interrupted by the man sitting to my right, Horace (who I quickly learned might be the only one in the club who rivals my talkative-ness) loudly said that he hadn’t heard the birthday announcements. Byll, to my right, muttered that he had been too busy staring at me…Angelique smiled and said, ok, I will recount this week’s birthdays, and then stopped, took a breath and said: none. Everyone laughed.
When I met Ephram for the first time he told me that their club is tiny, but they are close. Recruitment is difficult in Kpalimé, where many are unfamiliar with Rotary and, therefore (as usual with something that is unknown or different) people think it is some kind of sect or otherwise mysterious faction...his favorite thing about Rotary? The opportunities that it has given him to travel throughout West Africa. What a great thing.
Halfway through the meeting, the lights came back on, drinks were served, and a TV in the corner of the room flashed back on to loud static, which no one but me seemed to notice…Angelique talked over it, reading an email out loud from the Rotary Foundation and asking Byll to give the weekly report. Byll kindly asked that we come back to him - which we never did.
I was then asked to present myself, my project and why I was there. I circulated SunPower Afrique materials, the letter in French signed by the president of my club in PA and my certificate of membership. I have given my “schpeel” so many times now that you would think that it has become so habitual that it risks appearing banal and impersonal – not so! Particularly here in Togo, particularly in the context of Rotary, where my passion, motivation and sincerity seem to shine through my yovo skin and light eyes. I do not take this for granted.
They asked many questions, each having their own personal interests of course, which I tried to circumvent (as usual…) and explain the larger vision of SunPower Afrique and my interests in collaborating with Rotary clubs in Togo, particularly in Kpalimé. We spoke at length, got to know each other a bit, and I was invited back next week (more than invited actually – told that as a Rotarian I am obligated to come back every week while I am here in Kpalimé!)
The club in Kpalimé in keen to form an official partnership with us in Collegeville, which is a great start to a collaboration with District 9100, allowing us to match funds through Rotary International. It will take time of course, but the initial seeds have been sown. I am also excited to help the club in Kpalimé recruit more members through an international partnership and exposure through SunPower Afrique (if I may be so vain…)
This morning I went to see Angelique at her restaurant, at her request, where she gave me a Rotary pagne. I am to have it made into a shirt for next week’s meeting.
In light of some recent “issues” with one of my partners here in Togo, making it even more difficult than usual to know who to trust (while I am never alone, and am forever grateful to my partners on all sides of the ocean, being a female yovo trying to pull off a big project in Africa is infinitely complex…), I am very happy to have met a group of individuals that I feel connected to and in whom I can authentically instill some confidence.
I will try to send some photos of us in our Rotary shirts next week. Hope all is well back at Mooreheads and see you soon! :)
In the bar, a small and empty room off of the lobby, the Rotarians started to trickle in at about 7:15. Soon the Rotary bell was placed on the table and the now familiar practice of hand shaking, snapping, nodding and comment cava-ing took place. I find it very special that no matter where in the world you find yourself, in Collegeville, PA or in Kpalimé, Togo, you can find this Rotary bell and the same vibe of comradery and routine.
The president of the club is Angelique, a friendly yet reserved woman who owns and operates a restaurant near Petit Suisse called Le Gourmet. Out of the 6 members, I was very surprised to learn that 3 are women! And even more surprised when I was introduced to Angelique as the president – who ever said that African Rotary clubs are not progressive have never been to Kpalimé.
All members of the club arrived at the meeting in full Rotary garb – meaning they were all dressed in shirts made from “Rotary Pagnes” (yes this exists! They are yellow, blue and red, covered with Rotary symbolism and stamped with District 9100) and carrying folders with Rotary logos. I pointed at my Rotary pin and felt embarrassed that I had completely forgotten to bring them the Collegeville Club flag…(I will have to mail this to them at some later date.)
With 6 flashlights pointed directly at my face, Angelique introduced me to club (Ephram has introduced me to her before the meeting) and then went, in archetypal Togolese fashion, on to her agenda, whose procedure appeared even more exaggerated than l normally perceive them at such gatherings, when combined with the formalities of Rotary (can you imagine? ) I squinted and smiled, introducing myself as Kira Costanza, Club Rotary de Collegeville, Pennsylvanie, classification Energie Solaire.
Angelique started with “Pensees du Jour” (Thoughts of the Day), and when no one answered, I decided that they should know now rather than later that when no one speaks up, it will always be me! I thanked them for inviting me and said something about being excited to tell them about my ideas for partnership between my club and theirs. Angelique then recounted the birthdays of members of the club that had taken place that week – none – while the others around the table chatted amongst themselves. Angelique then moved on to the next item on her agenda but was interrupted by the man sitting to my right, Horace (who I quickly learned might be the only one in the club who rivals my talkative-ness) loudly said that he hadn’t heard the birthday announcements. Byll, to my right, muttered that he had been too busy staring at me…Angelique smiled and said, ok, I will recount this week’s birthdays, and then stopped, took a breath and said: none. Everyone laughed.
When I met Ephram for the first time he told me that their club is tiny, but they are close. Recruitment is difficult in Kpalimé, where many are unfamiliar with Rotary and, therefore (as usual with something that is unknown or different) people think it is some kind of sect or otherwise mysterious faction...his favorite thing about Rotary? The opportunities that it has given him to travel throughout West Africa. What a great thing.
Halfway through the meeting, the lights came back on, drinks were served, and a TV in the corner of the room flashed back on to loud static, which no one but me seemed to notice…Angelique talked over it, reading an email out loud from the Rotary Foundation and asking Byll to give the weekly report. Byll kindly asked that we come back to him - which we never did.
I was then asked to present myself, my project and why I was there. I circulated SunPower Afrique materials, the letter in French signed by the president of my club in PA and my certificate of membership. I have given my “schpeel” so many times now that you would think that it has become so habitual that it risks appearing banal and impersonal – not so! Particularly here in Togo, particularly in the context of Rotary, where my passion, motivation and sincerity seem to shine through my yovo skin and light eyes. I do not take this for granted.
They asked many questions, each having their own personal interests of course, which I tried to circumvent (as usual…) and explain the larger vision of SunPower Afrique and my interests in collaborating with Rotary clubs in Togo, particularly in Kpalimé. We spoke at length, got to know each other a bit, and I was invited back next week (more than invited actually – told that as a Rotarian I am obligated to come back every week while I am here in Kpalimé!)
The club in Kpalimé in keen to form an official partnership with us in Collegeville, which is a great start to a collaboration with District 9100, allowing us to match funds through Rotary International. It will take time of course, but the initial seeds have been sown. I am also excited to help the club in Kpalimé recruit more members through an international partnership and exposure through SunPower Afrique (if I may be so vain…)
This morning I went to see Angelique at her restaurant, at her request, where she gave me a Rotary pagne. I am to have it made into a shirt for next week’s meeting.
In light of some recent “issues” with one of my partners here in Togo, making it even more difficult than usual to know who to trust (while I am never alone, and am forever grateful to my partners on all sides of the ocean, being a female yovo trying to pull off a big project in Africa is infinitely complex…), I am very happy to have met a group of individuals that I feel connected to and in whom I can authentically instill some confidence.
I will try to send some photos of us in our Rotary shirts next week. Hope all is well back at Mooreheads and see you soon! :)
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
10 August 2009: Moov-ing Backwards?
On the radio this morning the familiar crackling voice of PeaceFM announced that, due to a massive hike in taxes on their operations, Moov, the (only) independent cellphone service provider in Togo, will cease its operations in the country. Hours later, the logo, name and service bars disappeared from cellphones throughout Togo. Togocell, the state-run provider has once again retained its monopoly on telecommunications, having swiftly eliminated its competition with a stroke of the bureaucratic (and not so proverbial) pen.
To me this is very disappointing…what with my preconceived notions of democracy, free markets and unfettered capitalism… Inno just chuckled and said “quel comedie.” Togo, having taken leaps (understood in the proper context of course…) towards democratic systems of not only governance but economic growth in the past 10 years, seems to be stumbling. Interestingly, this is all happening months before elections in 2010. Is there more than one candidate? Definitely not. HOWEVER, I did watch a music video last night in which a Togolese rapper, S-Jev, defiantly reprimanded the government for the poverty and poor health of its population, deplorable infrastructure and corruption. Under the previous regime this would not have been allowed and S-Jev would have been imprisoned faster than he could have asked for another ball of fufu – so there is indeed an increased sense and semblance of civil liberties.
It seems however that this forward movement is being staved off in the world of commerce. Which is not necessarily good news for SunPower Afrique! I have, in my backpack, a photocopied decree from the Minister of Ports, citing that all solar equipment can be imported into the country without taxes. I have mentioned this before, but want to reiterate what a big deal this is for a country with no natural resources, that therefore relies hugely on import taxes. Once again I question my idealism – will a piece of paper in a yovo’s hands actually mean anything? If the government can snuff out Moov, it can surely make the work of a startup nonprofit quite challenging….I will be taking a tour of the Port of Lomé in the next few weeks, and am carefully calculating my approach towards the presentation of this document to the appropriate individual…
I have also been repeatedly told that my “recepisse” (my documentation to legally operate my business/NGO in Togo) is waiting for my signature at the Minister of Decentralization. I will go to find it on Friday – wish me luck!
* * *
After watching the evening news and asking everyone I see whether they think Moov will be back, it appears that the Togolese government is in the process of “negotiating” a new contract…we shall see…in the interim, those with the means to do so have all run out and bought Togocell sim cards.
It was an interesting day in Togo, not only this fiasco with Moov, but the government also unveiled its new passports, which have been issued in order to “modernize their travel documents.” All citizens wishing to leave the country must now buy a new passport (30,000CFA/about $60), as the old ones are no longer valid.
It poured rain for 3 hours yesterday afternoon, prohibiting me from getting back to CECAV-Avenir (I am telling you, you have never seen such a downpour…) Inno and I sat outside on wooden stools, enjoying the cool misty air, sharing a tiny glass or sodabi and talking about politics and mysticism. We talked about the attempted coup-d’état that took place 3 months ago, which now has the president’s brother and his assorted, foreign military wing, armed with Chinese rifles, imprisoned in Lomé. About the chain of corruption and theft that prevents bridges from being built and trickles down to even the most honest and well-intentioned citizens…about tradition and modernization and what lies in between.
Many potential investors and MBA advisors have told me I paint too rosy a picture of Togo – as a haven of democracy and liberalism in the midst of the corruption of West Africa. However, I always do my best to present an accurate description of this country, and I will continue to do so. This is Africa, and it is with hints of cynicism and heaps of idealism (both necessary to fully comprehend the complex dynamics of both culture and politics) that I believe in Togo. Two steps forward, one step back, mais CA VA ALLER.
To me this is very disappointing…what with my preconceived notions of democracy, free markets and unfettered capitalism… Inno just chuckled and said “quel comedie.” Togo, having taken leaps (understood in the proper context of course…) towards democratic systems of not only governance but economic growth in the past 10 years, seems to be stumbling. Interestingly, this is all happening months before elections in 2010. Is there more than one candidate? Definitely not. HOWEVER, I did watch a music video last night in which a Togolese rapper, S-Jev, defiantly reprimanded the government for the poverty and poor health of its population, deplorable infrastructure and corruption. Under the previous regime this would not have been allowed and S-Jev would have been imprisoned faster than he could have asked for another ball of fufu – so there is indeed an increased sense and semblance of civil liberties.
It seems however that this forward movement is being staved off in the world of commerce. Which is not necessarily good news for SunPower Afrique! I have, in my backpack, a photocopied decree from the Minister of Ports, citing that all solar equipment can be imported into the country without taxes. I have mentioned this before, but want to reiterate what a big deal this is for a country with no natural resources, that therefore relies hugely on import taxes. Once again I question my idealism – will a piece of paper in a yovo’s hands actually mean anything? If the government can snuff out Moov, it can surely make the work of a startup nonprofit quite challenging….I will be taking a tour of the Port of Lomé in the next few weeks, and am carefully calculating my approach towards the presentation of this document to the appropriate individual…
I have also been repeatedly told that my “recepisse” (my documentation to legally operate my business/NGO in Togo) is waiting for my signature at the Minister of Decentralization. I will go to find it on Friday – wish me luck!
* * *
After watching the evening news and asking everyone I see whether they think Moov will be back, it appears that the Togolese government is in the process of “negotiating” a new contract…we shall see…in the interim, those with the means to do so have all run out and bought Togocell sim cards.
It was an interesting day in Togo, not only this fiasco with Moov, but the government also unveiled its new passports, which have been issued in order to “modernize their travel documents.” All citizens wishing to leave the country must now buy a new passport (30,000CFA/about $60), as the old ones are no longer valid.
It poured rain for 3 hours yesterday afternoon, prohibiting me from getting back to CECAV-Avenir (I am telling you, you have never seen such a downpour…) Inno and I sat outside on wooden stools, enjoying the cool misty air, sharing a tiny glass or sodabi and talking about politics and mysticism. We talked about the attempted coup-d’état that took place 3 months ago, which now has the president’s brother and his assorted, foreign military wing, armed with Chinese rifles, imprisoned in Lomé. About the chain of corruption and theft that prevents bridges from being built and trickles down to even the most honest and well-intentioned citizens…about tradition and modernization and what lies in between.
Many potential investors and MBA advisors have told me I paint too rosy a picture of Togo – as a haven of democracy and liberalism in the midst of the corruption of West Africa. However, I always do my best to present an accurate description of this country, and I will continue to do so. This is Africa, and it is with hints of cynicism and heaps of idealism (both necessary to fully comprehend the complex dynamics of both culture and politics) that I believe in Togo. Two steps forward, one step back, mais CA VA ALLER.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Sweet Home Togo
Kpalimé is the exactly the same. Except that the roads have been completely destroyed from flooding and rain. Even the main streets are a maze of potholes, ranging in size from a plate to a small house. It is interesting how this, my third time back, illuminates even more clearly the utter lack of progress and stagnancy of development…at FECECAV I can always see tiny steps forwards and small but significant inklings of growth, but on a larger scale, Togo stays in one place.
Le voyage was long…after a minor visa fiasco in New York (where I was barred from the airplane because I didn’t have a pre-purchased Ghanaian transit visa – which you used to be able to buy upon arrival in Accra – and had to spend an extra day in Manhattan kow-towing to the sluggish staff at the Ghanaian embassy…) I arrived in Accra on the morning of the 6th. I met a great girl on the place from a company called InfraCo, which does energy infrastructure projects in Africa – how fortuitous!
We traveled by bus to Ho, near the Togo border, where we piled into a classic African van, with a fractured windshield held together by a “Thank You Jesus” sticker, a back door propped open with piece of bamboo and a shell so rusted out that I was completed amazed (as usual) that with each pothole we didn’t all fall straight through. I am used to it now, but I still don’t understand the physics of these vehicles…how they run and stay in one piece. The mechanics here are literal magicians…
I have been in Kpalime for 3 days now, have met 2 yovo volunteers at FECECAV (one from SIDI, another development organization that send $$ to FECECAV at 6% interest and one from Kiva, a new fellow who immediately told me how much she hates Kpalime…) There are in fact many yovos here in Kpalime right now, harkening back to the days when Togo was a tourism hotspot. I am told that this is the “season of the Yovos” – aka summer vacation time. Hilarious.
I have eaten lots of fufu already (delicious! J) and talked extensively with Daniel (the CEO of FECECAV) and Aminou (my Kpalimé electrician and head of the solar team we will train during the pilot project.) I bought a motorcycle battery to hook up my solar panel demo, and it is currently chez le mecanicien charging up. Batteries here are bought without acid, and you must them take it to the mechanic to fill it up – where the mechanic removes some acid from another battery, mixes it with filthy water, tests it to see if it’s good, and, barehanded, spilling it all over his little brother’s feet and the oily ground of his workstation, adds it to the battery with a turkey baster. (I just tried in vain for 15 minutes to upload pictures of this, amongst a few others, but the internet connection is just not having it)
Everyone is impatient for the pilot project, and keep asking where is Mister Jon, when will we “installer les pannaux solaires”? I admire their trust in me and their endurance – not only because so many leave empty promises all over this continent, but also that nowhere but in Africa can I find this type of patience and resilience. I have made an impression on them and, since I am back again, this time with a panel, with documents to sign and posters to hang in their office, they are content to continue waiting for SunPower Afrique. I do not take it for granted and I will not let them down! Aminou as well, is so anxious to get started, and nervous that several solar panel installers have cropped up throughout the country (Chinese…) and that he will miss his chance. But he too trusts me and waits for his training – I continue to remember why we have decided work with him: his passion and understanding of solar in the context of his life and his country is exemplary and inspiring.
I am planning the next three weeks – pressured to get everything accomplished that I want to in such a short time, also allowing a week or so to travel north with Inno to meet his family and see more of the country. I am somewhat embarrassed to say that throughout my time in Togo, so unlike my adventurous self, I have never been North of Atakpame!
I will spend a week or so in Lome, to have my meetings with the Ministers of Decentralization, Small Business and Energy & Mining. I will also visit the Port of Lomé for a tour, and reconnect with M. Lare, my partner/consultant who currently has himself in quite a state, due to a misunderstanding between himself and Novinyo, another of my partners (a FECECAV manager). Something about “insulting his character” by not giving him a loan that falls far outside FECECAV’s average size for loan disbursal. I must go smooth this over in order to move forward…c’est l’Afrique quoi. Wish me luck.
I promised to keep my blog short this time, and while I’m sure you all long for my long-winded descriptions of the nuances of Togolese culture and the smell of burning plastic, I will spare you – this once :)
Will write again soon, of my plans and programs, and about the evolution of SunPower Afrique on the ground! As Daniel said to me, it becoming plus et plus réale(more and more real.)
Amitiés,
K
Le voyage was long…after a minor visa fiasco in New York (where I was barred from the airplane because I didn’t have a pre-purchased Ghanaian transit visa – which you used to be able to buy upon arrival in Accra – and had to spend an extra day in Manhattan kow-towing to the sluggish staff at the Ghanaian embassy…) I arrived in Accra on the morning of the 6th. I met a great girl on the place from a company called InfraCo, which does energy infrastructure projects in Africa – how fortuitous!
We traveled by bus to Ho, near the Togo border, where we piled into a classic African van, with a fractured windshield held together by a “Thank You Jesus” sticker, a back door propped open with piece of bamboo and a shell so rusted out that I was completed amazed (as usual) that with each pothole we didn’t all fall straight through. I am used to it now, but I still don’t understand the physics of these vehicles…how they run and stay in one piece. The mechanics here are literal magicians…
I have been in Kpalime for 3 days now, have met 2 yovo volunteers at FECECAV (one from SIDI, another development organization that send $$ to FECECAV at 6% interest and one from Kiva, a new fellow who immediately told me how much she hates Kpalime…) There are in fact many yovos here in Kpalime right now, harkening back to the days when Togo was a tourism hotspot. I am told that this is the “season of the Yovos” – aka summer vacation time. Hilarious.
I have eaten lots of fufu already (delicious! J) and talked extensively with Daniel (the CEO of FECECAV) and Aminou (my Kpalimé electrician and head of the solar team we will train during the pilot project.) I bought a motorcycle battery to hook up my solar panel demo, and it is currently chez le mecanicien charging up. Batteries here are bought without acid, and you must them take it to the mechanic to fill it up – where the mechanic removes some acid from another battery, mixes it with filthy water, tests it to see if it’s good, and, barehanded, spilling it all over his little brother’s feet and the oily ground of his workstation, adds it to the battery with a turkey baster. (I just tried in vain for 15 minutes to upload pictures of this, amongst a few others, but the internet connection is just not having it)
Everyone is impatient for the pilot project, and keep asking where is Mister Jon, when will we “installer les pannaux solaires”? I admire their trust in me and their endurance – not only because so many leave empty promises all over this continent, but also that nowhere but in Africa can I find this type of patience and resilience. I have made an impression on them and, since I am back again, this time with a panel, with documents to sign and posters to hang in their office, they are content to continue waiting for SunPower Afrique. I do not take it for granted and I will not let them down! Aminou as well, is so anxious to get started, and nervous that several solar panel installers have cropped up throughout the country (Chinese…) and that he will miss his chance. But he too trusts me and waits for his training – I continue to remember why we have decided work with him: his passion and understanding of solar in the context of his life and his country is exemplary and inspiring.
I am planning the next three weeks – pressured to get everything accomplished that I want to in such a short time, also allowing a week or so to travel north with Inno to meet his family and see more of the country. I am somewhat embarrassed to say that throughout my time in Togo, so unlike my adventurous self, I have never been North of Atakpame!
I will spend a week or so in Lome, to have my meetings with the Ministers of Decentralization, Small Business and Energy & Mining. I will also visit the Port of Lomé for a tour, and reconnect with M. Lare, my partner/consultant who currently has himself in quite a state, due to a misunderstanding between himself and Novinyo, another of my partners (a FECECAV manager). Something about “insulting his character” by not giving him a loan that falls far outside FECECAV’s average size for loan disbursal. I must go smooth this over in order to move forward…c’est l’Afrique quoi. Wish me luck.
I promised to keep my blog short this time, and while I’m sure you all long for my long-winded descriptions of the nuances of Togolese culture and the smell of burning plastic, I will spare you – this once :)
Will write again soon, of my plans and programs, and about the evolution of SunPower Afrique on the ground! As Daniel said to me, it becoming plus et plus réale(more and more real.)
Amitiés,
K
Thursday, July 2, 2009
7.5 Months…
...Is a long time to have been away from Togo. And on August 4th, when I fly back, through Accra, it will have been 9 months since my feet have been on the ground in Africa.
Last night I put my new blackberry down on top of my new netbook computer and had to do a double-take. Am I the same girl who wrapped herself in a pagne on the airplane and vowed never again to approach living beyond my means? What am I doing with these gadgets?
The longer I stay here in the US, the easier it is to slip back into the ways of selfishness and consumerism…I was born here, raised here, lived and live here. And am constantly struggling with why I suddenly have a love-hate relationship with everything I have ever known…
And the longer I stay here and work to grow the for-profit business, worry about who will be at the beach on Saturday, and who won’t, and how many more things I can’t get accomplished in a day, and how frustrated I am with the small business server and the congressperson who won’t vote to increase the solar share because it would cost PA ratepayers an additional 3cents on their annual utility bill…the more distant I feel from my project, from Togo, from Inno and Rogier and Akpene…from everything I was so driven by, in love with and smothered in when I returned from my first sejour au Togo, now well over a year ago.
Oui c'est complique, le balance me trahit…
The pace of life here in recent months (or all the time) would flabbergast anyone in Togo...I work all the time, at a frantic pace...tripping my way through a complex balancing act of policy advocacy, solar sales and non-profit business development. And go to Rotary meetings every Wedsneday and drive to NYC to see my sister and to LBI to see my friends and I love it...but would les Togolaises ever understand...?
I cannot wait to have an entire month to spend purely on Afrique work...my business plan is, at LONG last, almost in good shape, I have a budget in a complicated excel spreadsheet(thank you Danny and Rich Singer at RSVP) and I am starting to raise money! I hope that my trip will only spur the momentum, as I tackle some serious market analysis and outreach to develop my customer base of solar enthusiasts :) I will post a message with a more detailed description of my plans for August in the near future, and then off we go...
A bientot -
K
PS - Exciting! Thank you to Mike Armstrong, for filming and working with me on SunPower Afrique's first video...coming soon...
BECOME A FAN OF SUNPOWER AFRIQUE ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/SunPower-Afrique/52677941699?ref=ts
Last night I put my new blackberry down on top of my new netbook computer and had to do a double-take. Am I the same girl who wrapped herself in a pagne on the airplane and vowed never again to approach living beyond my means? What am I doing with these gadgets?
The longer I stay here in the US, the easier it is to slip back into the ways of selfishness and consumerism…I was born here, raised here, lived and live here. And am constantly struggling with why I suddenly have a love-hate relationship with everything I have ever known…
And the longer I stay here and work to grow the for-profit business, worry about who will be at the beach on Saturday, and who won’t, and how many more things I can’t get accomplished in a day, and how frustrated I am with the small business server and the congressperson who won’t vote to increase the solar share because it would cost PA ratepayers an additional 3cents on their annual utility bill…the more distant I feel from my project, from Togo, from Inno and Rogier and Akpene…from everything I was so driven by, in love with and smothered in when I returned from my first sejour au Togo, now well over a year ago.
Oui c'est complique, le balance me trahit…
The pace of life here in recent months (or all the time) would flabbergast anyone in Togo...I work all the time, at a frantic pace...tripping my way through a complex balancing act of policy advocacy, solar sales and non-profit business development. And go to Rotary meetings every Wedsneday and drive to NYC to see my sister and to LBI to see my friends and I love it...but would les Togolaises ever understand...?
I cannot wait to have an entire month to spend purely on Afrique work...my business plan is, at LONG last, almost in good shape, I have a budget in a complicated excel spreadsheet(thank you Danny and Rich Singer at RSVP) and I am starting to raise money! I hope that my trip will only spur the momentum, as I tackle some serious market analysis and outreach to develop my customer base of solar enthusiasts :) I will post a message with a more detailed description of my plans for August in the near future, and then off we go...
A bientot -
K
PS - Exciting! Thank you to Mike Armstrong, for filming and working with me on SunPower Afrique's first video...coming soon...
BECOME A FAN OF SUNPOWER AFRIQUE ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/SunPower-Afrique/52677941699?ref=ts
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Wonderful World of Rotary
For the past month and a half, I have spent a good deal of time exploring Rotary International and have been attending the weekly meetings of the Collegeville Rotary Club. I have also attended 2 meetings at the Bryn Mawr Rotary Club, including last night where I was the featured speaker. After evaluating the committment (time-wise and financially), I decided that joining the club would be a great opportunity and filled out an application. Now I wait for the Collegeville Club to vote me in (I hope!)
Rotary is an excellent mechanism for me to get the word out about SunPower Afrique to a large network of informed and interested individuals. While I am almost always the youngest (and usually one of 2 women in the room..) I greatly enjoy the comradery and being surrounded by people who are socially and philanthropically minded.
My project has generated much interest amongst the Rotarians I have met, and, after doing a bit of research and networking, have learned that the fundraising opportunties available for my project through Rotary are truly endless...importantly, Monsieur LARE, my lead solar technician and trainer in Togo, is also a Rotarian! He actually founded the Rotary Club in Dapaong (in Northern Togo) and has contacts at Rotary Clubs throughout Togo and here in the US. I am incredibly excited to begin linking up Rotarians around the world...Kpalime and Togo, sister cities!
In general, my presentations have been successful in translating my passion for SunPower Afrique to my audiences. I hope that my fellow Rotarians will be sufficiently inspired as to help me leverage this project with Rotary as much as possible.
Today I received this write-up from the Bryn Mawr Rotary "Coghorn" newsletter, about my presentation at their club last night:
PROGRAM
Chm. Bud Ahrens introduced Kira Costanza and her program “Sunpower Afrique” that she hopes to introduce in Togo, West Africa during the next year. Kira presented a power point program that included a bill of materials, for this $100,000.00 Solar Energy system for empowering the Microfinance Institutions in Togo. Kira had spent some time in Toga working with KIVA and FECECAV which dispenses very small (micro) loans to the locals for business and finance in their own communities. The pictures of course were worth a thousand words but the show gave us a great insight into how the people live, how they work and how the solar power systems are set up. They suffer from a severe energy crisis and have little or no utility type power available. The solar systems will permit some lighting, use of computers and telephone connections at reduced rates. The equipment is to be purchased here in the US and shipped as a package to Togo. Their electricians will assemble the Solar Power units under Kira’s guidance. This training will permit later installations about the town. There were a lot of questions so the program definitely caught our collective attention. Kira joined Collegeville Rotary (Dist. 7430) and will be traveling around her District and ours (Dist. 7450) in her effort to fund this Solar Power Afrique Energy system. Thanks to Kira for a very interesting and informative program.
Thanks to the Bryn Mawr Rotary Club for having me as a presenter last night - I look forward to continuing to work with District 7450 to fundraise for Afrique in the coming months!
Rotary is an excellent mechanism for me to get the word out about SunPower Afrique to a large network of informed and interested individuals. While I am almost always the youngest (and usually one of 2 women in the room..) I greatly enjoy the comradery and being surrounded by people who are socially and philanthropically minded.
My project has generated much interest amongst the Rotarians I have met, and, after doing a bit of research and networking, have learned that the fundraising opportunties available for my project through Rotary are truly endless...importantly, Monsieur LARE, my lead solar technician and trainer in Togo, is also a Rotarian! He actually founded the Rotary Club in Dapaong (in Northern Togo) and has contacts at Rotary Clubs throughout Togo and here in the US. I am incredibly excited to begin linking up Rotarians around the world...Kpalime and Togo, sister cities!
In general, my presentations have been successful in translating my passion for SunPower Afrique to my audiences. I hope that my fellow Rotarians will be sufficiently inspired as to help me leverage this project with Rotary as much as possible.
Today I received this write-up from the Bryn Mawr Rotary "Coghorn" newsletter, about my presentation at their club last night:
PROGRAM
Chm. Bud Ahrens introduced Kira Costanza and her program “Sunpower Afrique” that she hopes to introduce in Togo, West Africa during the next year. Kira presented a power point program that included a bill of materials, for this $100,000.00 Solar Energy system for empowering the Microfinance Institutions in Togo. Kira had spent some time in Toga working with KIVA and FECECAV which dispenses very small (micro) loans to the locals for business and finance in their own communities. The pictures of course were worth a thousand words but the show gave us a great insight into how the people live, how they work and how the solar power systems are set up. They suffer from a severe energy crisis and have little or no utility type power available. The solar systems will permit some lighting, use of computers and telephone connections at reduced rates. The equipment is to be purchased here in the US and shipped as a package to Togo. Their electricians will assemble the Solar Power units under Kira’s guidance. This training will permit later installations about the town. There were a lot of questions so the program definitely caught our collective attention. Kira joined Collegeville Rotary (Dist. 7430) and will be traveling around her District and ours (Dist. 7450) in her effort to fund this Solar Power Afrique Energy system. Thanks to Kira for a very interesting and informative program.
Thanks to the Bryn Mawr Rotary Club for having me as a presenter last night - I look forward to continuing to work with District 7450 to fundraise for Afrique in the coming months!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
April Update: Busy Times!
It’s been a while since my loquacious expressions (some may call it pontification, I prefer to think of it as enthusiasm) have graced the pages of this blog…not that I haven’t been talking myself blue in the face about SunPower Afrique, Togo and solar to anyone who will listen over the past few months.
I’d like to take a few moments to send out a quick update and document SunPower Afrique’s, and my, recent progress. As usual, there is never enough room in cyberspace...
Most of my time these days is spent working in the exhilarating, frustrating and fast-moving PA solar industry. SunPower Builders has grown exponentially over the past year and we expect to see that trend continue. We have hired new installers and office staff, and are well poised for the solar boom…if it ever arrives in full force…The solar industry in PA struggles, and has historically struggled, by being a policy-driven one. If legislature exists that subsidizes solar, bringing down the cost for the average consumer, the solar industry flourishes (à la Jimmy Carter) – when these subsidies, such as tax credits and rebates, are removed (à la Ronald Reagan), the industry screeches to a halt. We are thankfully returning to the former’s policies, thanks in great part to the new administration (as well as rising energy costs and decreasing costs of solar modules.)
I and SunPower Builders have been featured twice in the past week in the Philadelphia Inquirer, highlighting our efforts to push legislation through the bureaucracy of Harrisburg so that we can start installing systems and creating green jobs! An enthusiastic reporter has given great recent attention to our industry and the issues that it faces, which has been quite exciting. My work as Secretary of MSEIA (Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association) has also kept me right at the center of policy development and advocacy for solar in PA, which I surprisingly enjoy, considering the fact that I left the UN thinking I would never touch anything with the word “policy” in it again with a 10 foot pole. If you are interested, you can find more information about this work on SunPower Builders’ blog I post information on PA solar policy and SunPower’s place in it. The link is: http://www.sunpowerbuilders.blogspot.com/
In my “free time” I continue to live and breathe SunPower Afrique…I take every opportunity to speak about the organization and its goals, and get its name out there to whomever will listen. I recently gave a talk at the Free Library in Philadelphia which was quite well attended and gave me the opportunity to stand in front of a room full of people, most of whom were NOT familiar with my project, and explain my passion for it as well as make it accessible. I also gave a presentation a few Saturday's ago at an event called "Girls Exploring Tomorrow's Technology", where I talked about my project to groups of high school girls, parents and teachers - I now have a 16-year-old who wants to intern with me this summer! I have also joined the Rotary Club of Collegeville (yes, really and no, I am not a 74 year old man) where I hope to garner support for my project through Rotary International and other fundraising mechanisms. Any chance I get, I put a small article in a local newsletter or other PR/outreach network, hoping that the right person will pick it up…
…and give me $100 thousand dollars :)
No really, the fundraising is ongoing! We ARE raising money, little by little, un peu et un peu as my Togolese counterparts would say, and that’s the way it should be. I am re-learning the value of patience, which I seem to have forgotten quite quickly now that both feet are firmly back on US soil.
Our tanking economy and new tax policies (under which charitable donations by the extremely wealthy actually get less of a deduction than they used to…I love you Obama but you are killing me…) are making fundraising quite challenging but I remain optimistic! In light of the circumstances, I understand that I will have to search outside the easiest fundraising channels and focus on grant-writing and other, more burdensome initiatives such as investment solicitations and the like. All of which I see truly as a blessing in disguise, as it is forcing me to write and re-write business, strategic and operational plans, re-think the sustainability of my financial model and otherwise perpetually improve upon why I believe people should donate money to SunPower Afrique. All of which is quite useful.
However, I miss Togo…it has been far too long since my nose has been filled with scent of burning plastic, my mouth and tummy full of fufu and grain alcohol, and I am even starting to long for the squads of yovo-shrieking tots.
While I do not anticipate raising the full budget for the pilot project by this summer, I will to return to Togo in July or August, to see Inno, cultivate my network on the ground and maintain my motivation and optimism. If one spends too long away, one loses sight of what is real and what we are truly working towards. 
Thanks to all who have supported me thus far, please keep it coming! Please also be in touch if you have any ideas for me in regard to fundraising, business development or otherwise. You know I’ll be happy to chat with you :)
Until then –
K
PS - A quick shout out to my dear friend and mentor Rhoda, who always always read to the bottom on this blog. I will miss you and your brilliant, insightful commentary.
I’d like to take a few moments to send out a quick update and document SunPower Afrique’s, and my, recent progress. As usual, there is never enough room in cyberspace...
Most of my time these days is spent working in the exhilarating, frustrating and fast-moving PA solar industry. SunPower Builders has grown exponentially over the past year and we expect to see that trend continue. We have hired new installers and office staff, and are well poised for the solar boom…if it ever arrives in full force…The solar industry in PA struggles, and has historically struggled, by being a policy-driven one. If legislature exists that subsidizes solar, bringing down the cost for the average consumer, the solar industry flourishes (à la Jimmy Carter) – when these subsidies, such as tax credits and rebates, are removed (à la Ronald Reagan), the industry screeches to a halt. We are thankfully returning to the former’s policies, thanks in great part to the new administration (as well as rising energy costs and decreasing costs of solar modules.)
I and SunPower Builders have been featured twice in the past week in the Philadelphia Inquirer, highlighting our efforts to push legislation through the bureaucracy of Harrisburg so that we can start installing systems and creating green jobs! An enthusiastic reporter has given great recent attention to our industry and the issues that it faces, which has been quite exciting. My work as Secretary of MSEIA (Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association) has also kept me right at the center of policy development and advocacy for solar in PA, which I surprisingly enjoy, considering the fact that I left the UN thinking I would never touch anything with the word “policy” in it again with a 10 foot pole. If you are interested, you can find more information about this work on SunPower Builders’ blog I post information on PA solar policy and SunPower’s place in it. The link is: http://www.sunpowerbuilders.blogspot.com/In my “free time” I continue to live and breathe SunPower Afrique…I take every opportunity to speak about the organization and its goals, and get its name out there to whomever will listen. I recently gave a talk at the Free Library in Philadelphia which was quite well attended and gave me the opportunity to stand in front of a room full of people, most of whom were NOT familiar with my project, and explain my passion for it as well as make it accessible. I also gave a presentation a few Saturday's ago at an event called "Girls Exploring Tomorrow's Technology", where I talked about my project to groups of high school girls, parents and teachers - I now have a 16-year-old who wants to intern with me this summer! I have also joined the Rotary Club of Collegeville (yes, really and no, I am not a 74 year old man) where I hope to garner support for my project through Rotary International and other fundraising mechanisms. Any chance I get, I put a small article in a local newsletter or other PR/outreach network, hoping that the right person will pick it up…
…and give me $100 thousand dollars :)
No really, the fundraising is ongoing! We ARE raising money, little by little, un peu et un peu as my Togolese counterparts would say, and that’s the way it should be. I am re-learning the value of patience, which I seem to have forgotten quite quickly now that both feet are firmly back on US soil.
Our tanking economy and new tax policies (under which charitable donations by the extremely wealthy actually get less of a deduction than they used to…I love you Obama but you are killing me…) are making fundraising quite challenging but I remain optimistic! In light of the circumstances, I understand that I will have to search outside the easiest fundraising channels and focus on grant-writing and other, more burdensome initiatives such as investment solicitations and the like. All of which I see truly as a blessing in disguise, as it is forcing me to write and re-write business, strategic and operational plans, re-think the sustainability of my financial model and otherwise perpetually improve upon why I believe people should donate money to SunPower Afrique. All of which is quite useful.
However, I miss Togo…it has been far too long since my nose has been filled with scent of burning plastic, my mouth and tummy full of fufu and grain alcohol, and I am even starting to long for the squads of yovo-shrieking tots.
While I do not anticipate raising the full budget for the pilot project by this summer, I will to return to Togo in July or August, to see Inno, cultivate my network on the ground and maintain my motivation and optimism. If one spends too long away, one loses sight of what is real and what we are truly working towards.
Thanks to all who have supported me thus far, please keep it coming! Please also be in touch if you have any ideas for me in regard to fundraising, business development or otherwise. You know I’ll be happy to chat with you :)Until then –
K
PS - A quick shout out to my dear friend and mentor Rhoda, who always always read to the bottom on this blog. I will miss you and your brilliant, insightful commentary.
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