Appalachian Cultural Exchange & Baobab International
Present
M’Mook1 Project in Cameroon-Central Africa
M’Mook1 project is the combined efforts of two non profit organizations Baobab International & The Appalachian Cultural Exchange both devoted to creating cultural bridges. This project connects communities across cultures, across continents.
Imagine a day in your life without the most basic of luxuries: Electricity! Basic, as it feels like a necessary element to our daily routine. Luxury because you can live without it. But in Djio, population 5000, in Central Africa, electricity would be just that, a beautiful basic luxury. Without electricity, children must study by the very poor light of kerosene or of the fire place as their mothers cook the evening meals, though it may hurt their eyes or even be deadly when homes are lost to fire due to the use of kerosene lamps. Imagine a village of thousands of people without the infrastructure to support a school, a hospital, or the homes of its school children. Government electricity has not yet reached the area of Djio and even if it had, most would be unable to afford it. Djio is good example of thousands of communities across Cameroon and central Africa where just even a few light bobs can mean a great support and help. Menoua is a region full of peace and beauty , a landscape similar to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. Not unlike the mountains of Appalachia, there is a need to bring to the young people of the region the chance to dream of futures, and more importantly for the development of Djio, a chance to dream of futures in Djio.
Kengmo, a native of Djio, in association with Amy Lewis and Donald Weber developed a hydro-powered system capable of bringing the luxury of electricity to Djio. Beginning in July 2002 the team worked with local resources and labor in Dgio to create a hydro-powered generator system. Use of local labor gave the people in the community the knowledge and skills to recreate the project in other villages. The design was created with the up most respect and protection of the environment. By building the generator and crossing the cultural bridges we all share, together we can create a system that builds lives, the impact of which is immeasurable. We are greatly appreciative and thankful of all of you who have been so supportive of the hydro- generator project.
Phase I of the project consisted of
1 - building a dam, 2 - installing pipes, 3 - constructing a water turbine and 4 - Building a power house.The next phase of this project will be to install power lines and transformers giving one hundred homes electricity.
WE CAME A LONG WAY; THOUGH WE ARE SO CLOSE, WE ARE NOT THERE YET!...
Goals for the summer of 2004 are to upgrade the system and install the remaining electrical wire expansion. The next phase of construction will include several upgrades. An additional turbine and three larger alternators will be built. These, along with a higher dam elevation, and high voltage cables, will increase the available voltage without losing current. Transformers will be installed to convert the high voltage electricity to a usable voltage (220 volts). In this way, it will be possible to have electricity in the first homes by December 2004.
The project took place in the neighborhood of Djio (5000) in the village of Baleveng (50,000). This is a rural area where government electricity is not available. Students in the local middle and high school are forced to study by the fire or by the light of kerosene lamps. Many students develop serious eye problems or drop out of school because of this situation. Homes are occasionally lost to fire due to the use of the kerosene lamps to study with. The proposed project of developing a hydro-powered generator system has the potential for lasting impact and improving this situation.
The Vision
The project is the shared vision of Kengmo, a native of Djio who lives and tours in the United States sharing the wisdom of his elders and promoting peace and understanding our commonalities. Amy Lewis is a teacher living and working in Berea Kentucky who strives to give student’s opportunities and resources for becoming globally minded thinkers. And Donald Weber, a blacksmith and woodworker whose interest and expertise in simple technology have led to working with diverse peoples in several parts of the world.
Our vision is to provide electricity by developing a hydro-powered generator system using local resources and skills. This hydro-powered generator system will be safe to the environment while preserving the freedom of the people.
Future Activities
The next phase of the project will be to go back to Cameroon to refine and develop the system to more effectively meet the needs of the community. The second visit will involve creating more cultural connections through sharing of music, stories, and dance.
About the Appalachian Cultural Exchange:
The organization was originally developed by Randy Wilson who is interested in promoting understanding of diversity. Randy started the exchange program by having students in Eastern Kentucky Schools become pen pals with students in Inner City Schools in Lexington. The culminating event would be visits to the schools to meet Pen Pals. Community Volunteers and Craftspeople go to the schools in Lexington to share information about the effects of coal mining on the environment, storytelling, music, and Quilt making. Students have lunch with their pen pals and participate in Appalachian songs and dances. In addition, students participate in African music and dance with a visiting artist. This organization is funded through citizens, churches, and businesses interested in promoting understanding of diverse groups of people.
About Baobab International
This organization was founded by Kengmo and a group of individuals interested in using alternative solutions to provide electricity for villages in Cameroon. They have been successful with use of solar energy in some areas. However, solar power is not practical for many people in the village due to the expense of installing solar panels. Therefore, the organization is interested in developing a more efficient affordable alternative for villagers.
Advisors
John Cotton: Kentucky Agriculture Department
Scott Landis
Duff Kent: Environmental Engineer
Appalachian Cultural Exchange C/O Amy Lewis 110 High Street Berea, Kentucky 40403
WE CAME A LONG WE, WE ARE SO CLOSE, BUT WE ARE NOT QUITE THERE YET!
In addition, the budget proposal is available on request.
Your donation to support our project is tax deductible. All donations both large and small are greatly appreciated. Amy Lewis/President Appalachian Cultural Exchange. You may chose to make a donation on this website using your your credit card or mail a check payable to:
Appalachian Cultural Exchange (mmook)C/O Amy Lewis or Kengmo110 High Street Berea, Kentucky 40403
Cameroon 2003 Report M’mook Project
One month was spent working on the project this summer. Local community members met to discuss the summer plans and possibilities considering the lack of adequate fininancial resources. Although the fund raising was successful through your efforts and others. The project financial needs for fully extending the electric lines was not fully reached. Estimated expenses to fully implement plans for Summer 2003 was 8,403.00. Fund raising efforts resulted in $1960.00 to continue work on the project. It was decided that it would be necessary to clear the raffia from around the water pipes leading from the dam to the waterwheel. It was also agreed that every attempt should be made to get a few light bulbs in a few houses despite limited resources available this year.
The raffia fence surrounding the dam, power house , and pipes were reinforced with barbed wire fencing to prevent accidents and protect the system from damage. Four hundred meters of electric wiring was purchased to test the capacity of the inverter. The first house which will need to be wired is approximately one mile away from the power house. Five bulbs were attached to the wiring for a test. Several tests resulted in the bulbs coming on and shutting off due to the limited capacity of the inverter and the inefficiency of the batteries. The battery problem was resolved, yet the Cameroon community team was unable to correct the inverter problem.
Fooh Ntseeh, from in Dschang was consulted for this problem. He came to the site to evaluate and discuss the situation with the community team. He was impressed by the system, however, he saw ways to improve the system which would make it more efficient. The system was tested and the findings revealed that current equipment in use needs to be upgraded. Larger alternators are needed to make the system functional. This was an important discovery because these alternators can be built in Cameroon and makes the project more sustainable and community controlled.
Goals for the summer of 2004 are to upgrade the system and install the remaining electrical wire expansion. The next phase of construction will include several upgrades. An additional turbine and three larger alternators will be built. These, along with a higher dam elevation, and high voltage cables, will increase the available voltage without losing current. Transformers will be installed to reduce the electricity to a usable voltage (220 volts). In this way, it will be possible to have electricity in the first homes by 2004
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