I remember flying to Malawi in June last year with my good friend Prof Kirk, to moderate a bioenergy workshop and as if planned, the driver who picked us from the airport came in an ethanol-driven car. He told me the ethanol was from a local sugar factory and the Nissan engine was converted to run on ethanol.
It was the proudest I have been driving in a car. I was taking pictures like I have not been in a car before. I guess you know why. I am enthused and encouraged when Africans provide solutions to critical challenges instead of complaining alone.
I am happy to announce that the registration is now open for the 'International Bioenergy Webinar' which is the first one in the 'Participate with Recirculate' programme. It takes place on the 20th of August at 11am UK time.
All participants will receive a 'Certificate of Participation' from Lancaster University RECIRCULATE/ACTUATE Project funded by the UK Government Global Challenges Research Fund. It is going be an interesting discussion.
To register, Click on the link - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/participate-with-recirculate-international-bioenergy-webinar-tickets-115985087519
Registration is FREE!!! Don't miss it.
Please share this link and flyers far and wide.
It's Bioenergy Month and there are several activities lined up for the Lancaster University 'Participate with RECIRCULATE' Programme.
Yesterday I engaged the RECIRCULATERS when I posed a question. Here it is:
Energy insecurity is a huge challenge in Africa with over 600 million Africans lacking access to electricity. So here are six energy scenarios.
Scenario 1 - Your neighbours' diesel generator prevents you from sleeping 😊
Scenario 2 - Your almighty inverter is not working because there is no grid electricity to 'invert' in the first place 😊
Scenario 3 - Your online meeting is cancelled due to the four-hour power cut of a national power rationing situation 😊
Scenario 4 - Your night sleep is interrupted when power returns as you have to wake up to charge your phone before power goes again 😊
Scenario 5 - Your office windows are fully open because the air conditioning is off and the heat is scorching 😊
Scenario 6 - Your irritation escalates when power goes off during an action movie sequence, a Manchester-Arsenal football match or a favourite TV Soap 😊
PLEASE SHARE OTHER SCENARIOS😊😊
Which of these scenarios do you relate to, what have you done to cope with them and what more should be done to make Africa's energy situation better?
More than two years ago, I was involved with an amazing team at Lancaster University who applied and won a 7 million pounds UK Government funded grant for project called RECIRCULATE, a capacity building project on developing a circular water economy in Africa.
Since then over 300 young African professionals from over ten countries have been trained through workshops, residencies and sponsored projects with amazing impact. Together we are called the RECIRCULATERS.
Last year, we won another 700,000 UK pounds to build two demonstrator waste to energy plants in Ghana and the University of Benin Nigeria which is currently happening as we speak.
In a COVID-era, we have just launched a new virtual engagement programme known as 'Participate with Recirculate' for increased collaboration and fostering relationships for new projects. There will be several activities over the next six months you can engage with. Watch out!!
Africa has problems but empowering young people is a great way to solve our problems. I am proud to be an agent of transformational Change. Are you?
@recirculaters
WHY DO MANY PEOPLE START AN ONLINE COURSE AND DROP OFF?
I have been asked this a lot recently so follow these five points:
1. In your time map, calculate how many hours you’ll need to finish the course and decide which activities you can freeze or manoeuvre to free up time to accommodate the course. It means you need to know what your time-map looks like in the first place. The trouble is you add a new activity to your time bank without re-prioritising your time investments - time is money.
2. Seek courses that have activities, quizzes and assignments. If you are just feeding without doing some work, you will get bloated. Knowledge is food for the mind.
3. Don't go solo. Look for other people - friends and family and take the course with them. Form a whatsapp group if you need to. If you are asking other people their progress on the course, you are most likely going to be self-motivated to progress too.
4. Find someone you can be accountable to who you respect with permission to 'hunt you down' if you are not progressing well.
5. Find out if you will have enough data to finish the online course in the first place. Online courses require internet ‘biko’ 😊
Check this out this career course-
https://www.udemy.com/course/draft/3298234/?referralCode=FAA9C84D79384248C2DE
