Begin at the Beginning – SunPower Afrique est Lancé au Togo

17 June, 2010

Our plane bounced into Lomé 2 hours late, and to my shock and awe, all 6 of our suitcases, backpacks and boxes chugged around the groaning belt within 10 minutes. I could not believe it. As per usual, zipped side pockets had been opened by curious fingers and greedy eyes, but all cargo remained intact. Baggage – check.

My heart pounded as we approached the xray machine, through which all baggage passes before leaving the airport, and nearly popped out of my chest when I saw the same beady eyes of the customs officer who held my solar panels hostage last December. I ducked my eyes, and somehow, by some magnificent stroke of luck he patted his colleague on the back, yawned and turned into his office (for his customary hourly nap.) My anxiety returned however when another customs officer, the equally hostile woman with whom I had haggled over and over, shrieked, “Eh! Toi encore?!” (You again?!) I smiled and said, “Yes! I am back to help more people use electricity here in Togo! And I have all of my documents in order!” She looked me up and down, looked wearily at the pile of boxes sitting in front of us, and waved me away. I imagine she was simply too lackluster to deal with it. I’ll take it. Customs – check.

Novinyo and Ametepe greeted us outside the baggage area, the hot humid air infiltrating our clothes and skin. Mutually thrilled to see each other as usual, we hugged, shook, snapped and greeted our way out of the airport. Jon and Ron were hysterical to see all of our luggage jammed into the tiny trunk and backseat of Novinyo’s Audi, and then became incredulous when we were instructed to squeeze ourselves into the car as well. I wasn’t surprised of course Smooth arrival and reunion with my beloved Togolese counterparts – check.

We spent the next 2 days in Lomé, buying various supplies such as a hammer drill with the correct voltage and a Togolese extension cord. The owner of the electrical shop in which we bought the drill had a Deka battery and Conergy PV module for sale! Novinyo, always the eager and opportunistic entrepreneur, immediately began excitedly discussing with him the posssiblities of distributorship. While often overwhelming, especially in Lomé, the potential for this project in Togo is off the charts.

On the morning of the 18th we went to visit our friends at Maersk, to bring our container of the port, load it onto a large truck (which they call here “Titan” pronounced “Teetan” – I don’t know why but I find this absolutely hilarious) and make our way to Kpalimé. Facile non?

Not so…

A certain Maersk employee, with whom I struggled to communicate from the states and had significant doubts in regard to his ability to smoothly carry out this timely operation (mostly due to his arrogant attitude, which, of course, is coupled with the fact that his office is chilled by a sweating air conditioner) immediately wiped the smile off my face that had not faded since I first saw Novinyo’s face. He had not explained the fact that, upon its arrival in Togo, the port and Maersk require at least 3 days to “examine the cargo” and “do the paperwork” to release it. Had I known, we would have arrived 3 days later! To top it all off, it was Friday. No work on Saturday, no work on Sunday, and Monday was a holiday (Togolese memorial day for those that died in the war of independence.) I was furious, but, as I have learned, bit my tongue and negotiated to get the container as quickly as possible. Jon, never quite so reserved, pushed these proud gentlemen to their limit, but, after taking its toll of my level of stress, was instrumental in explaining the desperate need for the equipment by the following Wednesday at the latest. They refused to promise Wednesday, but said they would do their best and “most likely we would have it by Thursday. What could we do…?

Begrudgingly we decided to head to Kpalimé without our panels, inverters, wiring, batteries, everything…we would start the training and return for the container the next week. See you Wednesday I said, and they forced a shifty smile and said, no promises Yovo.

Novinyo leant us his car and found us a driver, to take us to Kpalimé with our pile of baggage, and then return the same day with his vehicle. I told Ron and Jon we were headed home. I immediately fell asleep for the entire ride down the familiar trip from the capital to the foot of Togo’s majestic mountainous border with Ghana.

Back to the Yovo Show - 2 Days to Togo 2010

I am quite experienced at this point in my packing career...having eliminated all of the accesory accoutrements recommended in tourist guides and travel books, only carrying with me the basic items I have learned are actually useful to me in West Africa. Of course, most space in my baggages is occupied with gifts and goodies to impart upon my friends and family qui m'attendent.

It is both reassuring and stressful to know that I won't be traveling alone. Every time I make the trip halfway across the world on my own I relish the space from every single thing in my life, and simply enjoy my proud independence. This time around I will be a translator, a tour guide, an organizer and a mediator, balancing culture and work ethic, autonomy and dependence, delegating and ownership...

It is also quite a complex emotion to understand that 2+ years of project development and fundraising are about to materialize into SunPower Afrique's pilot project that will not only change lives in Togo, but create a tangible result of the potential of this organization.

Jon, Ron and I leave JFK at 10PM this Tuesday night (the 15th) and return on July 2nd. We will be in Lome one day before the container's arrival at the port, at which time we will accompany it to Kpalime. Two weeks of training and installation will ensue...battery maintenance and troubleshooting will be the crux of our training program (for which the manuals are not yet finalized and printed and I am starting to freak out a little bit...)

The 3 of us will be staying at Petit Suisse, like the old days :) Many things are different this time around, on every possible front. But I hope that I will always be the Yovo-avec-le-sang-Africain de Kpalime.

I have already invited the Director of the National Microfinance Committee and several of my "political" contacts to the system commissioning. Yes, I am excited. C'est un grand chose.

The Shipping Container - Loaded!

Yesterday, May 11th 2010, was a momentus day for SunPower Afrique, and the first physical, tangible step towards the pilot project in June. The container has been loaded!

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At approximately 4PM a tractor trailer pulling a 20 foot Maersk shipping container labored its way down Pechins Mill Road, executed a 35 point turn and grunted to a halt amidst the boxes and packaged solar equipment being shipped to Togo on May 18th.

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The entire SunPower team, including SunPower Builders employees and SunPower Afrique volunteers (often one in the same these days...!) made this possible throughout the past 2 weeks. I am eternally grateful. Last minute runs to the electrical supply house, frantic phone calls to Conway and UPS tracking packages and confirming shipments, rigorous testing of all system components...

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Miraculously, when the truck arrived, so had everything else...except for one 21lb package containing an inverter controller, which we will carry with us in a month, along with all of the other items we realize-we-might-possibly-need-and-didn't-already-bring-3-extras :)

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For 2 hours, we loaded the container. All items were boxed and itemized, protected and secured and lifted into the gaping mouth of the giant, echoing metal box that will carry our prized cargo across the ocean.

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Here is a short story in pictures of what feels like the beginning of the end of a long journey, but is really just the beginning of another beginning, of a whole nother, larger, even more exciting adventure...

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SunPower Afrique Goes National!

This weekend, I will be speaking on a panel at The Chicago Microfinance Conference (CMFC), a collaborative effort among leading graduate business and policy institutions that brings together practitioners, academics and emerging industry leaders to advance the strategic debate of the future of microfinance.

I was originally invited to be a speaker at the conference on the general theme of "Green Microfinance" but as the conference's agenda developed, organizations throughout the world doing similiar work combining renewable energy, the environment and microfinance were brought in to form a panel called "Microfinance Goes Green." I will be joined by 3 others to discuss why renewables and microfinance, and the environment and international development, are inherently linked, and where this momentum will lead the microfinance community in the coming years.

You can learn more about the conference participants and the conference itself here: http://www.chicagomicrofinance.com/speakers.shtml

If you're in Chicago come check it out!

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In other news, after the pilot project, I will be focusing on an application for this grant from the Draper Richards Foundation: http://www.draperrichards.org/process/guidelines.html

This grant, which supports startup non-profit social ventures with funding for 3 years, fits perfectly with SunPower Afrique's mission, current status and future vision. The foundation's homepage states: "By delivering critical support at the start-up phase, Draper Richards Fellowships help outstanding people create wide-spread social change."

A Draper Richards Fellowship, along with the excellent reccomendations on our financial model from Penn State, would allow SunPower Afrique to operate in the black and move beyond the pilot state into our 10-year scaleability plan. Ashoka watch out, I WILL be back...I am a passionate and principled entrepreneur.

Equipment Ordered for June Pilot!

We are doing it...

I am almost afraid to say it out loud, but at the same time I want to shout it from every rooftop! We have raised nearly enough funding to carry out our Pilot Project in June, and are moving forward. We are confident that we can bring in the remaining $5-10K needed in the next few weeks to buy plane tickets and the final odds and ends...or at least to reimburse ourselves for covering it...!

Several blog updates coming soon, with detailed information on our system design, procurement, shipping & importing and next steps. I apologize for neglecting KiraWithoutBorders in recent weeks, the PA solar industry has taken over my life! (which I suppose on one hand is also a good thing...)

But in the interim, please share our excitement in the placement of Purchase Orders! We have ordered:

- 30, 170Watt GE (US-made!) PV modules
- 2, 3kW Outback grid-tied inverters (brand new product!)
- 24 Deka deep-cycle batteries (PA made!)
- All of the neccesary controls, disconnects and accoutrements :)
- 20 x 20 shipping container for the 30-day trek from Newark, DE to Lome, Togo

Racking details, mounting methods, nuts and bolts and round-trip tickets to Lome are next...stay tuned!

It is actually such a relief to know that we will back in Togo soon...
K

APPEAL FOR LAPTOP DONATIONS GETS BETTER!

It gets better!

If you donate a laptop to SunPower Afrique, not only is it still a tax deduction donation, but Collegeville-based MONTCO-IT is offering to replace your laptop for a significantly reduced cost.

Need a new laptop? Donate your used laptop to those in need and get a brand-spankin new one cheap! Win-win :)

Montco-IT: http://www.montcoit.com/

Please contact Kira at kira.costanza@sunpowerafrique.org or 610.489.1105 if you can help!

Akpe ka ka! Merci beaucoup! Thank you very much!

APPEAL FOR OLD LAPTOPS!

SunPower Afrique is asking for donations of laptops – used or new – to bring to Togo in June. Equipment donations are also tax deductible!

Here is why:

1. One of SunPower Afrique's goals is to impart to Togolese MFIs and small businesses the importance of reducing energy consumption. To encourage this, we have switched many appliances from AC to DC. The biggest part of this is removing FECECAV's ancient, energy hogging desktops and switching them to laptops.











2. Similiarly, the system size is incredibly dependant on load reduction, and we have determined that the most effective way to reduce their consumption is to switch the majority of FECECAV's desktop computers to laptops.

Therefore, SunPower Afrique is asking for donations of laptops – used or new – to bring to Togo for this purpose. If we can collect 20-25 laptops we will achieve this goal. Equipment donations are also tax deductible.

I am willing to pick them up and they can be in good to fair condition, I can do minimal repair work if necessary.

If you do not have any laptops to contribute, please consider making a donation to SunPower Afrique at http://www.sunpowerafrique.org/!

Thank you very much for your time and consideration to – your support will make a HUGE DIFFERENCE!

PLEASE CONTACT kira.costanza@sunpowerafrique.org if you have any laptops you can part with, would like to purchase and donate a laptop, or know anyone that might!

Note: We plan to move the desktops to other locations where they can be of use. If certain computers are deemed unuseable or unneccesary, we will safely and responsibly dispose of them - this too will set an example for local communities! (The irresponsible disposal of computer equipment is an increasing problem on the West African coast...and throughout the world...I hope that humanity will soon find a solution, as our current computers are replaced more and more frequently).