Solar Kit Installations in Gamawa, Bauchi state

Location: Gamawa, Bauchi state, Nigeria
Date: October 05, 2010

Led by Dave Agbakoba, Solar Jooce recently travelled to the rural community of Gamawa in Bauchi state of Nigeria to donate & install solar kits in rural healthcare centres.

The journey was kindly facilitated by the Bauchi state Ministry of Rural Development.

The solar kits were sponsored by Dr. Adaeze Paintin and her husband, Gabby Paintin who both live and work in the United Kingdom. Adaeze works as a gynaecologist and, naturally, her preference was for illumination to be brought to rural (maternal) healthcare centers, where lack of light continues to cause patients to be turned away at night, or routine medical procedures go very wrong due to lack of visibility.

Solar Jooce followed the brief to the letter.


October 05, 2010... From L-R Village Head (Sarkin Alagarno) Alhaji Dauda Mohammed; Engineer Aliyu (Bauchi state Ministry of Rural Development); Alhassan Bello Gololo (Gamawa community member); and Dave Agbakoba (Solar Jooce CEO) arrive Gamawa LGA in Bauchi State to set up solar kits in rural healthcare centres. Solar light in a box!


Patients outside the Alargarno maternity Primary Healthcare center in Gamawa LGA, Bauchi - where there's no electricity at all. Totally off-grid



Primary Healthcare center II (Maternity facility) in Gamawa, Bauchi state. L-R Hajiya Jumai Bappah Gamawa (Maternal & Healthcare Supervisor, Primary Healthcare Dept of Gamawa LGA); Hajiya Rakiya Ibrahim Gamawa (Facility Supervisor); Alhassan Bello Gololo (Gamawa community member); Dave Agbakoba; Engineer Aliyu, and another community member



Hajiya Jumai Bappah Gamawa (Maternal & Healthcare Supervisor, Primary Healthcare Dept of Gamawa LGA) showing off the facility's portable solar lighting kit



Engineer Hussaini Gidado Aliyu (Ministry of Rural Development, Bauchi) being assisted by Mr Alhassan Bello Gololo (Water Sanitation and Hygene co-ordinator, Gamawa) at the Alagarno Primary Healthcare center


Job done. WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) coordinator, Alhassan Bello Gololo lets go as the solar kit installation is completed at Alagarno Maternity clinic, Gamawa. No more hazardous candles will be used at the centre. No more expensive kerosene. No more births aided by torchlights (flashlights) or moonlight.

Solar for Primary Healthcare in Gamawa LGA, Bauchi

At Gamawa Local Government premises in Bauchi state – Dave Agbakoba (Solar Jooce CEO), and Senior Electrical Engineer, Hussaini Gidado Aliyu (M.Sc Electrical engineering Dhaka, Bangladesh) of the Bauchi Ministry of Rural Development

The 2nd phase of our pan-Nigeria solar mission (titled Energy Independence Nigeria) kicked off on October 1, 2010 to coincide with Nigeria's 50th independence celebration.

October 5, 2010, solar hanging lights (sponsored by Ada & Kojo Paintin of the United Kingdom) were set up at Primary Healthcare Centres in Gamawa L.G.A of Bauchi state.

Solar Jooce received remarkable cooperation from Bauchi state Ministry of Rural Development, with the Permanent Secretary ensuring we had a 4-wheel drive for the approximately 295km journey from Bauchi city to the remote city of Gamawa.

The efficiency in arranging logistic support was all the more impressive because my meeting with the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Garba Gamawa, occured just a day prior to departure from Bauchi city.

Pictures from the solar set-up in Gamawa will follow…

Dave

More Work Looms...

Adaeze & Gabby Paintin

Dr. Adaeze [Eronini] Paintin – originally from Imo state (South Eastern Nigeria) – is a British citizen, and works as a gynaecologist. She is married to Gabby, an engineer who spent his early years in Ghana before relocating to the UK.

Adaeze & Gabby continue to support our work, and have just sponsored five solar hanging lights to be set up in a rural area in Nigeria. One of the target recipients of their donation will be primary healthcare centres, following Adaeze’s natural concern for infant/maternal wellness before, during, and after childbearing.

In the next few weeks, Adaeze & Gabby's donation will be matched to some of the requests we have received from state governments for basic solar lighting in rural communities. During their next trip to Nigeria, this generous couple will get to meet members of the community that have benefitted from their gift.

Adaeze has had a long history of supporting charitable causes, having run several 5k races in the UK (with Gabby cheering on) in support of cancer research. Gabby is passionate about social causes.

Watch this space for pictures from 'Paintin-sponsored' solar light installations.

August 08, 2010 - David's Report on Gulmin Boka

We finally got a report from David Osokolo (volunteer solar engineer) about the solar installation at the Bible Training School (Gulmin Boka, Niger state). In his prior email, David reported that the solar installation has become a tourist attraction of sorts, considering that Gulmin Boks & its environs have no electricity. His most recent email email reads:

"Dear Anne, thank you so much for the opportunity [to work with the people at Gulmin Boka]. The installation was a complete success. The people, especially the principal and Rev. Japhet, are so thankful."

Below is a full report from David.

SJ Installation - Gulmin Boka, Niger State

Feedback from Solar Lamp Recipients

James Yisa, our local guide across 9 states during our 36-state road expedition, gives feedback about the impact of Solar Jooce solar lamps to a benficiary community

James Yisa is the hardworking owner of an NGO (Centre for Health & Development in Africa) and was our decdicated Northern guide during Solar Jooce's 36-state Solar for the Masses expedition. He sent in the email below, reporting on the impact our solar lamp donation was making on a particular recipient community (Danchitagi village in Niger state):

"We were at Danchitagi community last week, and the solar lamp donated by Solar Jooce is really making a remarkable impact on the lives of the community members."

Here is an axcerpt of James' report:
The Community Health extension worker (CHEW) of Danchitagi Primary Healthcare Centre noted that the [solar] lamp has not only made their work easy but has also increased patronage and quality of services at the health facility compared with when they had to rely on touch light and hurricane lamp. He added that the lamp has also saved the cost of having to buy kerosene.

The lamp which has become a thing of wonder to some while others call it a magical lamp has not failed to attract the attention of the community members.

[The CHEW] noted that a number facility staff working in health facilities within the neighboring communities like Ebangi, Gbade, Jima, Sausa and Edobaba who have had or seen the lamp have expressed their delight and would appreciate if Solar Jooce could extend the kind gesture to their own health facilities.

To read the entire report, please click on the link below:
Solar Jooce: Solar Lamp Recipient Report (Danchitagi Primary Healthcare Centre, Niger state, Nigeria)

July 31, 2010 - Mission Accomplished (Gulmin Boka)

May 26, 2010 - Solar Jooce's first visit to Niger state [location: Danchitagi village, Lawun Local Govt. Area]. Anne and Dave Agbakoba interact with warmly welcoming villagers

"Jooced up, running, happy people, I'm off". This was the text message we received at 5.52pm from our volunteer Solar Engineer, David Osokolo, to confirm that solar lighting at the Bible Training College (Gulmin Boka, Niger state) was up and running!

The students are reportedly excited to move away from darkness to a future of uninterrupted light. Having partially invested in the newly installed 60W solar panel, we are sure the Training School will see to the kit's longevity.

We will upload pictures and stories as soon as David recovers from the over 28-hour return trip to Gulmin Boka (from Lagos state) by road.

July 24, 2010 - Another Assignment on the Horizon

Solar Jooce's highly skilled and tireless volunteer Solar Engineer, David Osokolo, gets ready to set off for Gulmin Boka in Niger state where he will set up solar panels to illuminate the village's Bible Training School

Since the completion of our 36-state tour, we've had requests coming in from rural Nigeria for solar lighting assistance.

After reviewing a few well thought-out applications, we settled for a last-minute submission from the Bible Training School at Gulmin Boka village (near Kotangora, Niger state). Their request articulated a simple but urgent need, with an intention to contribute a small amount towards ownership of a solar lighting solution.

A major problem faced by the students of the School is the absence of power to provide light to read/study at night.

Reverend Linus Timawus, who co-ordinates developmental projects in the area, had earlier on sensitised the School about the need to take their development into their own hands. He was therefore happy to mobilise the School and a few other entities to make a financial contribution towards owning our solar kit donation (the solar kit was purchased 100% by Solar Jooce). The contribution of the Bible Training School would be 10% of the cost of the solar kit, and a token fee for installation by our volunteer Solar Engineer, Mr. David Osokolo.

The School will be benefitting from the solar kit that Imope village in Lagos state had failed to take advantage of.

Watch this space. In about 7 days, the project will have been completed and we will hopefully have pictures and stories of a life-changing/developmental experience to share...