Globally Green Living

William Kamkwamba from Kasungu Malawi in Africa did not let the fact that he could not continue his schooling in 2002 stop him from learning.

His family was unable to pay the school fees required but William obtained books from Wimbe Teachers Development Centre (TDC) so was able to continue pursuing his interest in science.

The books were donated through a teacher-training program called Malawi Teacher Training Activity (MTTA). One book in particular was about energy and included instructions on how to design a windmill.

• He built his first windmill when he was only 14 and has improved upon it many times since. His original windmill generated enough power to light his room, but he made a larger one that created enough power for several light bulbs as well as two radios. Before that they had no electricity and were using paraffin candles and lamps for light.

Some of the parts used for the windmill were scrap wood, PVC pipes and a bicycle frame. The PVC pipes were cut, heated and pounded until flat for blades. William replaced the plastic windmill blades by taking an oil drum to a tinsmith to help cut it into new steel blades.

• The publicity has brought William Kamkwamba many opportunities such as the ability to continue his schooling. He is continuing his studies at African Bible College Christian Academy in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi.

The story received more publicity thanks to Malawian blogger Soyapi Mumba and continued through to other blogs such as Hactivate, White African, AfriGadget and others. Emeka Okafor who is the curator of TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Global Conference invited William to attend with him in Aursha, Tanzania where he was well received.

Since the conference, William was introduced to the internet, has an email address as well as a successful blog with the help of his American mentor.

He continues to update us on his latest projects and has rewired his home and installed solar panels along with his team from National Solar and Power.

If you are interested in reading more about this inspiring and inventive young man, see William Kamkwamba’s Malawi Windmill Blog.

This was adapted from an article I wrote for Suite101.

Wildlife preserves in South Africa are using birth control for elephants as an alternative to culling or mass killing to control elephant populations.

People fought to protect elephants from poachers until the ivory trade was banned. Now elephants have grown beyond sustainable numbers and the government has lifted the ban on culls.

In the wild elephants would be busy traveling and searching for water and food in the dry climate. On the reserve water is plentiful so the elephant population is not thinning naturally. Although elephants are still endangered in other areas in Africa, on many of the wildlife reserves in South Africa they are not.

Birth Control Vaccine

The vaccine that acts as birth control does not contain hormones but instead uses the elephant’s immune system to block the fertilization of their eggs. This means they’re safer because there are no side effects from hormones and the rest of the food chain is not at risk.

It seems a practical alternative to culling and is usually reversible so elephants can become pregnant later. Some elephants are still allowed to become pregnant so younger ones can be socialized properly and learn how to raise their own young.

• Vasectomies are also used as birth control and an alternative to culling elephants in places like Kruger National Park in South Africa. Culling has been reinstated but it is a controversial method since it means killing whole elephant herds and that also affects the tourist industry.

For more information see:

• Elephant Birth Control Vaccine, National Geographic Video

• South Africa Elephants Get Birth Control, Los Angeles Times

• South Africa Brings Back Elephant Killing, Environmental Graffiti

Solar cookers can be set up just about anywhere and don’t require wood or electricity.

A solar cooker workshop was a success in Nyala, Darfur as you can see on this video. Many women are vulnerable to violence when they leave their camps so this way they can safely cook and stay together.

I was impressed with how they learned to cook everything on it and even managed to bake bread and a cake. My bread sometimes flops with the best of conditions so seeing food people created with a solar cooker was inspiring.

Since people learned how to create the solar cooker to cook on, they didn’t have to search for firewood. There isn’t always a lot of firewood around because of deforestation so this also saves lives, time and trees.

Want to learn how to create your own solar cooker? You never know when you might need one and the instructions are easy to follow with simple supplies. Here’s the instructional video courtesy of Graham F. Knight on YouTube.

You can find more information on this project at BioDesign where you can request free pamphlets available to download.

I also found more great resources at SolarSlowCooker.com. There are recipes for vegetarian meals, steamed clams and chocolate fondue. There’s also detailed information on how the solar cooker works, cookbooks and cookers for sale.

I do wish it were spring because I don’t think I can catch much sun right now and want to try it. All this talk about food is making me hungry though so think I will give this rustic berry tart a go from Farley at Coaching Cooking.

The gorillas known as the Taiping Four are finally home. Kenya Airways sponsored the flight on Friday. They were smuggled to Malaysia from Cameroon in 2002, and were staying at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria since 2004. They have been in the limelight for a while but are not the only animals being illegally traded.

“Overwhelming all though, is the sense that something incredibly important has been achieved today. We’re sending an equivocal message to those who trade in endangered wildlife that their dreadful activities will no longer be tolerated,” said Christina Pretorius of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org).

They are guessing the gorillas are about six years old and they are being sent to a wild life centre, which is a sanctuary where they can finally spend the rest of their lives.

The zoo is going to miss them but is glad to have been involved with both the gorillas and the fight to stop illegal animal smuggling.

It’s cute how one gorilla is so outgoing and one is a recluse. My one daughter and son are opposites that way as well. I hope that they can remain settled and live the rest of their lives in peace at the sanctuary.

In this older clip, Neil Greenwood from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) talks about the gorillas, how they each have their own unique personalities and how they are planning to move them with as little stress as possible. Because so much attention was created with the Taiping Four I think they have helped more people become aware of how widespread the illegal smuggling of endangered animals has become.

• To read about some other endangered animals, check out the Top Ten Birds in Decline.

Bead for Life is a non-profit organization that helps eradicate poverty by supporting and training Ugandan women. They transfer recycled paper into beautiful beads giving themselves an income and helping the environment.

This triple swirl necklace that’s shown here is my favorite. It comes in five different colors and is only twenty dollars. They have been overwhelmed this year with their bead parties which include beaded jewelry, a DVD about the beaders, African recipes and price lists. It would be a fun party to have in the new year anyway since they’re booked up until then.

You can still buy individual pieces of jewelry or donate though. Read more about BeadforLife on their website. They have some inspiring stories and some beautiful beads.

Grâce Dotou founded her theatrical company in 1980 and called it “Qui dit Mieux” which means “Who can say it better”. They promote peace and concern for the environment through drama. Grâce was sick of seeing plastic bags strewn all over her neighborhood and decided to do something about it.

Now she and twenty other women in Benin crochet trash bags into dolls, scarves, handbags and place mats. Ten Thousand Villages sell Qui dit Mieux’s products and shown here is one of their recycled bag placemats.

Qui dit Mieux has expanded and now have 16 different workshops. NGOs have expressed interest and they continue to grow in other West African countries. In 2002, United Nations recognized Dotou with a Poverty Eradication Award. It’s amazing how the efforts of one person can expand and help the environment while providing income for many women.