Solar-for-the-Masses: Dustbin Estate, Ajegunle [Lagos, Nigeria]

(L-R): Anne Agbakoba (Solar Jooce); and Tolulope Sangosanya (Project LOTS)


Dustbin Estate, Ajegunle


Tolu & Anne with midwife Madam Ogene Eze Mmili (2nd Left); Abiodun Ganiyu (our guide); and the baby delivered by the midwife. On the table is the kerosene lantern used by the midwife to deliver babies after dark


Solar Jooce volunteer engineer, Ekundayo Ojo sets up our donated solar unit atop the midwife's roof while news station NN24 films


Ekundayo shows the midwife, Madam Ogene Eze Mmili, how to work the solar unit and its phone charging function

Tolulope Sangosanya, Director of Project LOTS, has her modern-look office right inside the Dustbin Estate (Awodiora Community, Ajerunmi local government area of Ajegunle). There, she provides free after school lessons to the children of Ajegunle.

For the record, Dustbin Estate is an area filled with, and built on, trash. Tolu caught Solar Jooce's attention last year when she won the Future Awards (Nigeria) and brought the Dustbin estate to prominence.

Solar Jooce teamed up with Tolu on Thursday, June 23, 2011 and under her expert guidance we identified the most suitable recipients for our solar light/phone charging units.

The most intriguing recipient was Madam Ogene Eze Mmili who is:
1. a midwife. She delivers children within and outside the community. We were introduced to one of her patients who had just had twins)
2. a bone healer (she sets broken bones) and
3. a spiritualist. She says she eliminates the spirits of 'ogbanje' or 'abiku' - repetitive cases within a family of children who are born but do not stay long in this world. We caught a glimpse of her shrine but were not allowed to photograph it.

At the end of the solar install in her one bedroom where she sleeps and tends to maternity patients, Ogene Eze Mmilli broke into song and dance. She prayed endlessly for Tolu & team Solar Jooce, saying we had saved her the painful expense of having to buy kerosene for her lantern; we had given her reliable and enhanced lighting that will enable safe delivery of babies; and given her a phone charger to boot so she can charge/use her phone even when electricity is cut for days/weeks on end as is the case.

This entire visit was quite emotional but worth every second.

On the team were volunteer solar engineers:
1. Ekundayo Ojo - who came in all the way from Ilorin, Kwara state just to live this experience
2. David Osokolo - with an eagle eye for detail

The RCCG (Abundant Grace Parish, Port Harcourt), headed by Engr. Nosyke Okoye sponsored four of the lights for this project.

Powering West Africa | African News and Current Affairs Analysis ...

A UK publication, New Africa Analysis, has written a feature on Solar Jooce titled Powering West Africa

http://newafricaanalysis.co.uk/index.php/2011/04/powering-west-africa

Ambassador Dozie Nwanna's Speech @ Solar Jooce Fundraising

(L-R): Ag. Nigeria High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Dozie Nwanna (OON); Anne Agbakoba(Managing Partner, Solar Jooce)

Weeks after, the Solar Jooce 70s Dinner-Dance & Fundraising (held on May 07, 2011 at the Chelsea Old Town Hall in London) continues to attract support for the work of team Solar Jooce across rural Nigeria.

We couldn't have succeeded without super support from the Ag. Nigeria High Commissioner to the UK, His Excellency, Ambassador Dozie Nwanna and his team.

First, the High Commission encouraged Solar Jooce's fundraising mission by purchasing the largest number of tickets (20 units) for the evening.

Then, on the day, Amb. Nwanna made an engaging speech, giving first-hand account of how kerosene hurt his eyes as a child - and confirming that solar was definitely the perfect replacement for dirty, expensive and harmful fossil fuels such as kerosene. He secured a few solar converts for Solar Jooce after his speech.

[Read Ambassador Dozie Nwanna's Speech here: www.scribd.com/doc/56401780]

The High Commission team also made the auction exciting, ensuring they outbidded everyone in the hall for one of the silk haute couture dresses donated by renown designer, NKWO. The dress fetched a princely £425! Ambassador Nwanna drew a round of applause when he instructed that the dress be donated back to Solar Jooce for the brilliant work it was doing.

A huge thanks also goes to guests who fell into several categories - University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN); OLD Girls| Queen's College, Lagos-Nigeria (OGQC); ex-colleagues from Fidelity Bank, Nigeria; relatives, and solar enthusiasts.

Expert pictures by Ade Sulaiman - Solar Jooce Dinner-Dance & Fundraising

You are invited to view Ade Sulaiman's detailed photo album:
Solar Jooce!! 9 May 2011
by Ade Sulaiman

[Copy and paste link]

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=orotique&target=ALBUM&id=5604813111773042673&authkey=Gv1sRgCIaKxvq5hN2G-wE&invite=CMru2Tc&feat=email

Mission Accomplished - Successful Fundraising

The Solar Jooce 70s Dinner-Dance & Fudraising was held at the Chelsea Old Town Hall in London and it was a good show.

The two couture dresses alone (donated by renown designer, NKWO), raised £650! And the pledges that followed will ensure that Solar Jooce's next trip across a few states in Nigeria can now happen, with a total of 124 sponsored solar appliances to donate to rural communities.

Here are a few pictures from the event, with more to follow:

Solar Jooce Hosts 70s Dinner/Dance & Fundraising

Solar Jooce will be hosting a red-carpet fundraising dinner/dance in May 2011, in Central London.

Our target is to raise £10,000 to fund basic solar appliances to be delivered to rural recipients during Phase II of our ‘Solar-for-the-Masses’ road expedition.

One year ago, in May 2010, Solar Jooce took its Solar-for the-Masses campaign to all 36 states of Nigeria, covering a total of 9,309km by road in just 17 days to provide basic solar appliances to primary healthcare centres and micro-businesses that have no electricity (view Gallery: www.solarjooce.com)


Solar Jooce donates solar light/phone charger to farmers at Gudugba, Kwara state

Recipient rural communities for the current batch of solar appliances include Okundi, Nsadop, Kawagom and Kejip (Cross Rivers state); Bayanloco, Ungwa Masar, and Zakwa (Kaduna state); Chugwi and Ballang Kalep (Plateau state); Kaltungo, Okra and Ture (Gombe state); Bama (Borno state); Yola, Mbamba, and Wuro (Adamawa state).

The May 2011 Solar-for-the-Masses event has a formal 70s theme (music and dress code) – a time reminiscent of the steady progress made by developing nations due to the Green Revolution.

The Acting Nigeria High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Dozie Nwanna, is our Special Guest of Honour and he will be delivering a speech titled "Solar Lighting for the Transformation of Rural Nigeria".


Sponsors for the event include international designer, NKWO (who will be providing couture items for an auction on the night); private individuals; and Naija DeeJay Femi Ibiwoye who will be playing 70s music, gratis.

Media support is kindly being provided by North-South magazine, African Prospects magazine, and unique lifestyle magazine, SideView which will cover red carpet photos and interviews.



Enquiries: communities@solarjooce.com
Ticket Info/Picture Gallery: www.solarjooce.com

Solar Jooce Partners with Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)

The Redeeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) - Abundant Grace Parish, Portharcourt - has signed on to sponsor a total of 180 solar hanging lights/phone chargers across communities in Rivers state. Over a period of 6 months or less, the Abundant Grace Parish, led by Engr. Nosyke Okoye, will identify rural healthcare centres and other recipients to whom even the most basic lighting is crucial.

Nosyke says: "It is good to note that Solar Jooce & RCCG seem to share the same passion for doing something for the “unserved and underserved” in our nation. It is also noteworthy to mention that there is a greater emphasis in the RCCG to pursue and fulfil corporate social responsibility, by giving back and impacting on the society in more than spiritual ways".

We flagged off the Solar Jooce-Redeemed partnership by setting up a solar appliance at the Wakama-Ama Community Health Centre (Ogubolo Local Government Area), about 1 hour's drive away from Port Harcourt.


Engr. Nosyke Okoye (Parish Pastor, RCCG, Abundant Grace Parish)


Wakama Community Health Centre




L-R: P. J. Wakama (Community Chairman); Kolawole Ajao (Area Pastor, Anointed Parish, RCCG); Anne Agbakoba (Solar Jooce); Nosyke Okoye; Mary Odumeru (Community Health Worker); Nedde Tamuno (NGO - Youth & the mentally challenged); Samuel Egbunu (Pastor, RCCG, Wakama Parish)

Community members watch solar light illumination