Hello friends and family;
This summer I am going to travel to Tanzania Africa with the purpose of installing solar systems on schools and dispensaries. Annually, students from the Renewable Energy Engineering program at Oregon Institute of Technology partner with Portland based non-profit, Solar Hope [2] ran by OIT instructor Dr. Petrovic. The basis for the trip is to practice socially responsible engineering by designing and implementing photovoltaic systems in developing countries. On August 17 through September 17, approximately 15 students from OIT will be going to multiple villages throughout Tanzania to install 20-25 student designed systems. The systems range from water filtration, water deionizers, lighting, laptop/notebook power for educational purposes, and cell phone chargers. Cell phones have become a vital resource for villagers[3]. In fact, so much so, currently a volunteer from villages run the distance of a marathon plus some to charge handfuls of cell phones.
With a trip like this, there are multiple obstacles. For example, we will be voluntarily taking Swahili lessons to help with communication. Another obstacle is finances. OIT, Solar Hope, and a group of grant writers have been working strenuously for the last year to help raise the funds. Currently, half of the total costs have been covered by donations from a variety of businesses. A donation recently received was from the University of Arizona and it included all of the solar modules necessary for the trip. However, even after donations like that, there is still financial help needed to complete this trip. The cost for me to go to Majita and install the entire system is approximately $3000 excluding airfare ($2000). So with that being said, I have been working on ways to cover the trip.
I would never consider committing to something like this if it was not important to me. I had originally deemed the trip financially unrealistic. However, after some consideration, I knew I have to try.
The chance to share such an exciting trip with friends and family carries its own merit.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
I Sincerely thank you for your support
Chris
