How things will move on and the story of a hectic visit to Germany in January

16.2.2009 von Cornelia.

Dear friends and supporters,

After our last blog on December we went on a short holiday to Kribi (to get some sun!) and then spent new years with our Canadian friends of International Children Awareness in Lewoh. Except for the fact that nobody seemed to care that it was new years, when we celebrated it, it was a pleasant and very interesting stay down in the valley! We learned a lot on health care in the village and on the solar-light systems the NGO had distributed down there. Thank you Ed!

In the picture you can see our adventurous trip down to the valley on January 1st!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public transport

We took the trip on public transport this time, since the office vehicle was needed for other purposes. An adventure on its own - we had to walk some of the hilly parts since the bus was not able to climb the hills with so much load and we got stopped and checked at several police-stops - but we managed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The good news: sponsors stay with the project

But let me start with the good news – in our last blog we explained the problems we are facing and told you that we needed some response from our sponsors before we know how to go on. Well – the good news is, they all approved of our new plan B an we can now happily move on with the project.

Trip to M’muock – explaining the plan B to the villagers

After our trip to Lewoh we made our way to M’muock Fosimondi to discuss with the villagers first of all the delay of the demonstration site put up (some of the electrical parts we needed hadn’t been ready then) and also the shift of the project and training. The craftsmen on the one hand were disappointed that we needed to take the technical training for the wind- and waterturbine to a different village, but they understood that they are able to come with us, if they are very interested to still learn the technology. We also discussed some of the pressing issues in the village and tried to find out where we could be of a assistance with a different environmental technical training. The biggest problem now is water irrigation in the dry season. We will be trying to work out something with the villagers and our technology and environmentally friendly approach.

Environmental school clubs and women groups

Apart from that I was travelling to visit the schools to discuss with them the possibility of launching environmental school clubs whose activities we would be supporting. The teachers and headmasters as well as principals were very much interested. And in February we will be having the first workshop with the teachers on what activities those clubs could get involved in and how they are to be run.

I will also be working with the women groups to find solutions to the high firewood usage and also on other environmental protection activities.

Hehe – eat my dust!

e left the village on bikes – unfortunately Johannes had to eat my dust – which made the whole of Dschang laugh out loud when they saw him reaching the town. And here is why J:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A short trip to freezing cold Germany

On January 10^th then we left for Germany – after a flight missed by 24 hours (yes we were really stupid and mixed up times…) we reached freezing cold Germany on January 12^th. We refused to leave the airport since it was 36 degrees colder than in Douala and our winter clothes were in the car…

Presentations of the project in Hammelburg and Munich

On January 12^th we gave a little presentation to supporters, friends and family in the small town of Hammelburg. Thank you Stefan for arranging this event! About 20 people were there – we never thought it would be that many!

And on January 13^th I was leaving for Munich, while Johannes had to meet the press J

It started with an Interview on the radio on January 14^th and ended with a press conference with our “Schirmherr” Hans-Josef Fell (he is a parliamentarian of the area and speaks in favour of our project) in Schweinfurt. Johannes even had an interview on TV!

You can download and see all those press reports, interviews etc. on www.green-step.org/news.htm.

On Januar 21^st we then gave a presentation on the project in Munich – thank you Bernadette for arranging it! About 25 people came to listen and discuss with us!

On January 23^rd I gave a presentation on travelling in Cameroon and was sure nobody would turn up to that – but believe it or not – 25 people were sitting there! Many of whom had either lived in Cameroon or wanted to travel there!

Visiting a supporting school and a sponsor

Johannes also visited one school in Würzburg. They had been selling little things before Christmas they had produced and had donated that money to our project – how wonderful is that? Johannes went there to give a presentation on the project and on the technology.

He also went to visit the Umweltbank – the bankers on bike – initiative had donated a huge sum to our project in 2008.

 

The mud issue

In-between all those presentations we managed to buy all sorts of presents and some foodstuff we needed (since some things we missed are either incredibly expensive in Cameroon or unavailable). And we visited Angelika – she had lived in Cameroon some time ago and had worked on clay and improved cook stoves. She did some testing for us on the mud we had brought from M’muock (to the very big amusement of the villagers – they could not believe that we would be taking their dirt to Germany J). Unfortunately we found out that the mud is not burning well and we cannot use it for cook stoves… we need to find a new solution here…

Well and on January 27^th we left again for Cameroon. This time with some additional help – Johannes father came with us to help putting up the demonstration sites.

We will report on this soon!

All the best

Cornelia and Johannes

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Celebrating the start social award from the German Chancellor in Buea

7.10.2008 von Cornelia.

Ndanda!

Via SMS to Cameroon Johannes and me got the news that our pilot project in M’muock, Cameroon “renewable energy entrepreneurs for Cameroon” won an award on September 29th 2008 at the German national competition start social (www.startsocial.de).
GREEN STEP members Bernadette Felsch and Reinhold Hertlein were in Berlin at Angela Merkels office (who was part of the ceremony herself) to receive the award.
Here you can see a few pictures of the event.

“Help for helpers” is the motto of start social, an initiative of the German government and the german business sector to facilitate knowledge exchange between business and the social/NGO sector in Germany. Through professional help from the business sector selected projects are to be brought to success. 100 projects were selected in february 2008 to get councelling on the project plan. In July 25 of these projects were selected to visit the Bundeskanzleramt in September to take part in the award-ceremony. 7 of these projects were awarded yesterday with 5.000 Euro, among which GREEN STEP is one.

Together with the office staff of Nkong Hilltop (you can see a pciture here) we received the good news last Monday!

And together with Vincent and Edwin from Nkong Hilltop and Dr. Kennedy from MUDECA we celebrated this success in Buea at a restaurant.

It seems like it was the week of good news – since something else reached us in Cameroon yesterday – the German private foundation Louis Leitz Stiftung (www.LLstiftung.de) confirmed a donation to the budget of our project, which enables us to carry out the project for the benefit of the people of M’muock Fosimondi.

We are really happy that things are going so smooth for the project at the moment and we are greatful to all our members and supporters that believed in our project idea. Now everything is about carrying out the project, working our way through small everyday problems (like customs ) and helping the people of M’muock to learn how to produce their own electricity.

With happy greetings from Buea

Cornelia and Johannes

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GREEN STEP meets minister for economic cooperation and development of Germany: Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul

31.7.2008 von Cornelia.

On July 24th the first Bavarian fair: Bavaria-One World took place in Augsburg. The fair was organized by the Bavarian Network: Eine Welt Netzwerk Bayern e.V. About 1.000 students and teacher came to the fair showing their commitment for fair trade, international cooperation and north-south partnership. They presented their projects and informed themselves about globalization, fair trade and north-south partnerships.

In discussion rounds the students showed their ideas and questions about development cooperation and the need for help for the poor to experts from NGOs and state-organizations.

GREEN STEP took part in this fair to find possibilities for school partnerships between our project village in Cameroon and German schools. We already got many contacts and found interested students and teacher!

Highlight of the fair was the visit and speech of the German minister for economic cooperation and development Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul. After her speech students were able to discuss with her in a discussion round.

During her stroll across the fair she also visited GREEN STEP e.V.. In the picture you see Johannes explaining to her the principle of our small scale wind- and water generators.

We want to thank the Eine Welt Netzwerk Bayern e.V. for inviting us to this fair and for organizing it in such a professional way! Thank you very much!

Cornelia and Johannes

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start social – scholarship in national competition

3.7.2008 von Cornelia.

Dear supporters and friends!

Today we got the news that we are invited to the Bundeskanzleramt (that is where our German chancellor Angela Merkel works) as we got into the next round of the national competition “start social”.

With the pilot project in Cameroon our initiative won a scholarship for professional mentoring in the national competition start social in January this year. During 3 months our project team got professional help on project planning, fundraising and public relations.

During the mentoring-period we also visited the start social fair in Berlin where we met the other 99 scholarship holders and their mentors. Finally we adapted our project concept and handed in a final report in May.

Last week we got the information that we are under the 25 projects that got onto the next round! We are invited to the “Bundeskanzleramt” to be part of the handing over of the final awards. On the 29^th of September we will know whether we are one of the 7 award winners. So keep your fingers crossed!

All the best

Cornelia and Johannes

Start social is an initiative of Mc Kinsey, Siemens, Audi and others. The patron of the project is Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel. (www.startsocial.de)

Here are some pictures from the last meeting of the mentees in Berlin in March 2008.

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