I first became involved with Power Up Gambia (PUG) a few years ago, after meeting its founder, Kathryn Cunningham Hall, at the Do Something Awards. Kathryn spent time volunteering in The Gambia’s Sulayman Junkung General Hospital (SJGH) in 2006, and witnessed people dying from deaths that could have been prevented on account of the lack of sufficient electricity. In some hospitals in The Gambia, generators only have enough energy to power hospital electricity for one to two hours per day! (Imagine a pregnant woman trying to plan to have her baby between 9:00-11:00 am)
Following her visit to the Gambia, Kathryn began fundraising to install solar panels on hospitals and medical clinics in The Gambia, in order to harness solar electricity. Solar panels are a viable and efficient solution to The Gambia’s energy problem. Since 2008, more than 108 solar panels have been installed at SJGH, thus providing hospitals with the essential energy that they need to power up lights, and lifesaving machines.
This organization impresses, inspires, and excites me. It’s the perfect combination of humanitarianism and environmentalism.
I’m hoping to visit The Gambia with PUG sometime soon. I’m also excited to pick up some tips for equipping my own home and the production set of HOUSE with solar panels as well. I live in Los Angeles–like in The Gambia, solar powered energy is just common sense!
Visit PUG at, http://www.powerupgambia.org/
