Leaving Douala for Bangang village, where ACREST is located
Dr. Vincent Kitio, Founder of ACREST
A solar lantern made by ACREST
ACREST provides its own power through a small hydro/wind station built by its staff
At Djoubé, on the way to Bangang: fresh fruit and food everywhere - consumed, sold and for export
More pictures: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.190395101017721.45314.100001416964107&l=165b1fc0b8&type=1
ACREST is a Renewable Energy training centre located in [very cold and mountainous] Bangang village, approximately 350 km from Douala (Cameroun, West Africa). It took us 10 hours to get to Bangang (normally 5-6hours) because of the gnarling traffic jam in Douala. I made the trip with Dr. Vincent Kitio, founder of ACREST and Chief of Energy at UN Habitat.
The centre trains rural people to assemble, fabricate and maintain renewable energy appliances, which range from wind, solar, and bio-fuels to hydro. After training, even semi-literate men and women are able to distinguish the different electronic components of a solar system, for example + detect and replace faulty parts, and build an appliance from the ground up.
It was a pleasant surprise to learn that ACREST generates its own electricity (for its living quarters and training centre) from a small hydro-power station. It was even more exciting to find a range of locally made products, from solar lanterns to solar cookers, solar food driers, fireless stoves, bio-sand water filters, bio-gas plants (coverting waste to energy), wind turbines, wind pumps, and water purification devices and hydro - all proudly AFRICAN, and something Solar Jooce aims to replicate in Nigeria.
Power to rural people...
No comments:
Post a Comment