Today was the final day of the program. It actually worked out OK that the materials to make the large panels never arrived–they are still in customs limbo–but we got our NIF–so maybe someday they will be liberated.
Because the students weren’t focused solely on making panels they learned a lot of other things. Like making the solar ovens–for cooking and for making our fabrication process cheaper. They learned how to make the racks with aluminum we had purchased for panels, but now we are using wood.

The students loved the logo with the camel and sun behind, but the Wodaabe would have preferred a cow.

We painted the Nomad energy logo on the solar oven.

Learning to install an electric system

Since Dr. Komp will not be here for the installation of the solar pump and electricity at the education center, the students will be on their own.  They will likely learn better if they have to depend only on themselves.  We will see.

Our biggest challenge to date, besides customs of course,  has not been teaching the concepts of solar energy, but instilling the idea of straight, square or precise.  I decided to try to clean up one of the panels and make it prettier so they could see the difference.   So they set to sanding, filling gaps and painting.  Here are the results…

Some of the students trying to clean up and beautify the panels

Painting panels

It was not easy to get them to hold the brush correctly and drag it along.  Their inclination was to push it against the bristles.  I have noticed that this is also the way they sweep with brooms.

Prettier panels

I spent the day in various offices trying to get our shipments of solar equioment which had finally arrived in Agadez.  After some seven offices (this after paying $500 to a customs clearing agent in Niamey to do it) we got the packages released on condition that we complete our NIF which we have been trying to complete since I got here.  Each time we find out a new problem.  Yesterday we found that our NGO, which has had its Niger recognition for over three years now, is not registered.  Of course this is another new law–like the NIF (fiscal number) law.  Now it is necessary to purchase a stamp of $3.50 each and stick it on a copy of each page of our by laws–all seventeen of them–two copies!  After retyping our bylaws to conform to the new format for a couple of hours, we paid yet again and got registered. We went to pick up to the packages which still had to clear customs here in Agadez only to find out that the clearing agent who had been paid a monumental $500 for his services had “forgotten”  the carnet of transit so the packages were to be seized.  After much negotiation Sidi arrived with the packages  which were released on condition that we complete our NIF which is in some sort of African limbo.  There was  great jubilation until we found that one was missing.  I called Niamey to find out it is there in someone elses name and although its value was declared in the previous shipment we need another carnet of transit which must have a customs escort to the tune of another $200.  By now our clearing agent is “fatigué” and will do nothing more.  So the silicone which was needed to encapsulate all the new large panels sits in Niamey and tomorrow is the final day of the program.

Almost all the packages

So here sit our solar pump for the garden, our electrification for the Tamesna Education Center and Rich leaves tomorrow.

Ready to go cells sadly waiting for the silicone.

Many sets of soldered cells for large panels sit sadly waiting for the silicone to arrive.

The first rice cooked in the solar oven was sampled by all.  Pretty good.

Sampling the first rice cooked in our solar oven

Checking the first panel cooked in the solar oven

The big oven to cook solar panels--or have a big party!

The big oven to cook solar panels--or have a big party.

Cooking a 65 watt panel

A generous donation of 100 solar lights from Unite to Light in Santa Barbara, CA. will lead to some new businesses for the nomads.  We distributed them to each of our students for which they signed an agreement to pay.  They will do a publicity campaign with these examples and take orders for more.  The intention of the donation, was not only to provide light to those who have no electricity, but to create business opportunities for those who sell the lights.  Thus we can restock the lights by purchasing more from Unite to Light.

Djabo displays his unite to light solar light

I can attest to how well they work because I have been using one every night as I sit in my courtyard with no electric light and make jewelry.  I can work for at least 4 hours with light bright enough to see the tiny beads.

Students with their new business opportunities--Solar lights and small panels to sell.

We managed to get transit papers to get our solar materials out of the airport.  They are in the hands of our clearing agent with a transit paper which allows us to clear customs in Agadez.  We thought we were home free, until the bus refused to take the merchandise as its $4000 value is too much and they will not take responsibility for its safety–what if the bus is attacked by bandits?  Maybe if they made use of the materials to build panels they wouldn’t have to be bandits!  Ok I know its a far fetched scenario–they would not know what they had and would toss it and then we would still be in the same position we are now: a program without materials. The time has not been wasted –many small panels have been made and the solar oven is designed to cook our large panels so we do not have to use the silicone material that is now blocked in customs.  The saga continues

So Dr. Komp is scheduled to leave on Friday and we just could possibly, maybe, perhaps, get the merchandise into Agadez to start the customs procedure all over again on Tuesday night…which leaves us Wednesday and Thursday to do all the work…that is IF the merchandise is cleared in Agadez!

The solar ovens are nearing completion and we will find out today about our customs deal — we are hoping for transit papers so we can clear customs in Agadez.

The new challenge–as we wait for Dr. Skankey and the medical volunteers to arrive–is an Air France strike.  oh well…..

After 10 days straight of very hard work, we decided we all needed a break.  We took the opportunity to go out to the garden for another picnic and at the same time figure out why the solar pump stopped working.  Usually solar systems as simple as the one installed in the garden are very reliable, but I did not know how to go about the repair.  So we took Rich–I was busy getting tools etc for him so I neglected taking a picture of his repair of the panels standing on a 55 gal drum in the back of a pickup.  What he found was maddening and reassuring at the same time.  He was getting no power reading out of the panels–there was plenty of sunshine–so he looked at the connections which had been totally rewired.  I said that Alhassane had told me that someone we do not know had come out and was charging cell phones and being paid for it.  He apparently tried every combination of wiring until he found one that worked and did his business and could not figure out how to put it back.  So our pump was out of commission for over a month.  We had a gas powered back up, but it was a rather infuriating development.  I guess we need to sell the guy one of our new chargers that charge three at the same time–whoever he is.