Taking a Green Leap of Faith: tales from Ghana

Hey funky people and green-lovers! So, my latest adventure in the world of environmental and sustainability issues has been my traipse up the boardwalk of the Medium group, with Rowan Moore Gerety, an editor who focuses on African Makers and African Innovation.

He gave me the nudge and opportunity to talk about our Eco-Design School in Aburi, which, shame on me, I have said very little about on here! So, instead of re-hashing it all, I thought 'What the heck. Share and link up.' What, photos? They are all in there. See below:

 ... read more.

Facebook Album: click here

Our Eco-Artisan & Eco-Craftsmanship SUMMER COURSE is open!

Please share far and wide, and feel free to write to me with any questions or queries you have.
And should you want to sponsor any child to attend, PLEASE do let me know right away. I have many needing it.

Yay!! *epileptic excitement*

Golda
Accra. 28th April, 2013.

Growing hard and slow! Energy Solutions gives birth ...

Dear Reader,

It's been a journey here. Since I last shared what ESF had been up to here, I have not had the chance to update again. There HAS been much being done, pursued, and dreamt up. One thing is sure though ... I have been able to keep up the dream, and I have not allowed challenges to tire me out.

Our "Born.Again" recycling label has been much of a humbling success, especially our journals. They have been bringing amazing feedback, and so I decided to follow that path even as ESF's more demanding and bigger projects continue stewing and growing.
What resulted is a market-competitive recycling and upcycling line of products, spearheaded currently by our journals going to fairs, being stocked in bookshops (currently at SyTris Bookshop, in the Mark Cofie Building, Osu-Accra and soon to come to 2 more shops in Accra) and being posted to people who order outside of Ghana.

"Born.Again" Journals on sale at the Natural Beauty Bazaar (Dec. 2012: image by OneFotos, GH)

ESF via "Born.Again" also recently joined in the 1st-ever Ghana Blog & Social Media Awards as Donors (see us at the right-hand column bottom row) supplying premium edition journals to the 13 winners of the various categories. So if you are a blogger or own a social media account OR know any of those you LOVE, please go and nominate them there, and there could just be an award with your/their name on it! That day (23rd March) is also the day for our 2nd Annual BlogCamp Ghana, and you can have a gander at the programme for the day. Curious to see who are behind BloGH? Just click on Team, and fill yourself up on the goodies ... and if you want to join the Association of Ghana Bloggers, you are right at home on that website. I am one of them, and I can assure you, it rocks!

We will also be working with a team of literary enthusiasts and poets to promote literacy, creativity-in-literacy, and recycling in Ghana amongst selected campuses in the country, all via our new baby :

Outdooring our logo

So ... 2013 has started in earnest!
For updates, always visit and like us at : Energy Solutions Foundation (Facebook)

OUR ECO-LABEL – BornAgain! UPDATE II.



BornAgain! Eco-Rocker



BornAgain! Eco-Rocker in use



Woah!

Been a minute since I last blogged in December.

It’s what … March now? Dag, how time flies.

How time flies when yer having fun. And I have been having fun.

Oo yeah. Having fun skinning my hands and limbs, hammering my fingertips silly, blistering my palms, sweating the f**k outta my pituitary glands, and getting all grimy and dirty for our eco-label BornAgain!. Read about our Tuori Fundraiser if you’re now hearing about it … weirdo. 0_0

Yep. I’ve been building trendy, competitive, good standard furniture out of discarded car tyres, common materials, tossed-out stuff, and a ton of imagination. Not only that, but I’ve been crafting recycled footwear too. Yes! Yes! Darn, good-looking, actually usable, durable, adorable, chic, trendy footwear, out of … you guessed it … discarded/spoilt car tyres! Combined with other materials, as the design permits – leather, fabric, beads, etc.

Last time I posted, I shared the inspiration for the label BornAgain! (by now I assume you HAVE read the link I referred to you just above), and the intention to launch something every 4 weeks.

Well, whew! Motherhood and work and school had me embarrassingly backsliding for a bit, but now, hello!! I am back and with 3 new products!:

-      The BornAgain! Eco-Rocker ( a rocking chair design)

-      The Return of AfroMoses (unsiex footwear inspired by poet DK Osei-Yaw)

-      The Rampunzels (female footwear inspired by the world ^_^)

For the photoshoot images (kind courtesy of the darling Desire Clarke), do click here won't you?

Now, I know how most times, we have people dreaming up a concept and then having other artisans and craftspeople doing the actual polishing up in terms of engineering and technological set-up, putting it all together, then building it? Well, in this case, I 100% designed these, and 65% built them (the footwear was 100% my work though). So when you are looking at them, know that a hard-working woman put em together for a better future for the kids and the country and the world and all o’ that. Ha!

All these designs (furniture and footwear) used a lot of car-tyre material in it, the inner tubing of some tyres, old leather etc. All profits of the sales go to ESF (the NGO’s) projects, and the current project of priority is the Tuori Fundraiser.

So far, we have raised GH¢2560.00 out of the targeted GH¢5000.00 ($3500).

We are very excited here at ESF about all the endless possibilities scattered before us. We began this journey 3 years ago, in July 2009, insisting on taking it patiently, but doggedly – never quitting, always delivering and ever-persisting. 3 years later, countless media interviews, presentations, forums, collaborations, consultations, data-gathering, research, travels and trips, 5 inventions, 1 magazine cover later – we are growing in unmistakeable consistency and reputation.

We signify hope to a growing minority of GH youth and Ghanaians; we engender possibilities that were just yesterday considered impossible; we are succeeding in drawing more people to believe in us and join in the dance of Green.Sustainable.Eco = Life.Future.Jobs.

We pioneered renewable energy advocacy and charity in Ghana and the sub-region. we pioneered a woman at the forefront of such an entity. We pioneered a youthful Board of Directors of such an initiative.

We broke the rules and blazed a trail. It broke our bones but not our resolve. We healed, andkept healing. We can’t be held back now. The world is our path. But as I often say … without you, all this sh*t.

Join us.

P.S. Wanna see our pics? Click here.

3 weeks to go! Crazy weeks ahead!

Modern technology
Owes ecology
An apology (Alan M. Eddison)

Ain't that true!

Heard Japan has pledged to cut down on their carbon emissions 25% by 2020! Should all other countries follow, we are in for the greenest, lushest, most fantastic half-decade ever! A time-frame which is sure to see us enjoying the fruits of our labour.

15th October, 2009 is Action Blogging Day, and the topic chosen for this year is Climate Change. Furthermore, the Copenhagen international climate conference will be happening in December. Seems like this year is for the Green-ies!

It's a dream. A wonderful dream. Painstakingly achievable, but highly feasible.

So ....!

Have you told your friends and family about the 17th October yet?
Marked it on your calendar already?
Called up your 4-man posse members on prepping for it?
Have you asked your company to attend as part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities ... yet?

If you didn't know ... entry fee is only GH 2.00 cedis.
You come as a 4-member group, its only GH 6.00 cedis.

Reggie's "Take the Mic" ticket will be out soon, and can be bought ahead of time, or at the gate.
That one is going at GH 20.00 cedis for 150 people. So book your ticket ahead of time if you can help it!

The Charity Ball tickets are also out already, and will be available for purchase at the fair grounds on the 17th October as well. I have delivered a few to friends and corporates already, so if you need any, just let me know! It's for 200 people. It will have presentations and short talks from select lead experts, specialists, ground-breaking companies, foreign investors, and financiers - on the evening's programme.

It will have celebrities, famous personalities, achievers in the corporate world, and amazing mavericks who have done the once-thought-of impossible! If you can afford it, DON'T MISS OUT on this ball! I assure you! The networking, financial, investment possibilities are endless.

3 WEEKS TO GO!
I was in Elmina on Founder's Day ... met with the Project Manager for Cyclus Elmina Plastic Waste Recycling Plant in Aburansa-Komenda in Elmina.
Very personable man, and passionate about Sustainable efforts ... a man who had spent 9 years in Cameroon working on wind power projects and water engineering.

I went to see what Cyclus Elmina was all about, and how our fundraising efforts for a Plastic Waste Recycler in Accra could fit into their agenda - for better synergy. Also to learn as much about the process and its inputs as possible.

I didn't regret the trip. All my studies, readings, and research on possible end-products of plastic recycling, both occurring in other parts of Africa, and yet to happen ... were already being tested by Wim and his team in Elmina.
By the end of the meeting, I had had more than enough knowledge on how such a plant worked, and gotten a signed agreement from Cyclus Elmina to support in Accra, in terms of Plastic Waste collection (as totally as possible),education and training (of local inhabitants).

We were worried that they were not getting enough plastic waste to meet the plant's quota in Elmina ... whereas those who claimed to be collecting it in Accra seemed blind to those scattered all over the streets, and every other available space in the capital city! Apparently, deals are struck with hotels, schools, and institutions, and they collect directly from selected sources.

Here at ESF, we intend to give the money-less, homeless teens the opportunity to make 100% of the money paid by Cyclus for this plastic waste .... by hiring them on to actually collect those littering our neighbourhoods, as well as talk to the households living in those communities, so that they pick up directly from them.

Whatever cash is paid by Cyclus Elmina, we pay back 100% to them after weighing. Our focus is to clean up the plastic litter, and make sure Cyclus's plant is being utilised to the max! Cyclus also issues cheques weekly to pay, so is sorta better than most other plastic-using manufacturers in the country, who are less regular (or less reliable about paying).

You can see some of the pictures from my Elmina trip to Cyclus, and also at the guest house, where i stayed overnight.

With 3 weeks to go, I am still working on getting as many sustainable businesses and ideas involved in the Fair and the Ball, as is possible.

Here's to THE GREENFOOT CAMPAIGN!! Hip hip hooorah!

Lol. What a silly goose! I just love it! lol!

See you all soon, guys! Mwah!!