Student groups fundraise for Africa
’SC Students for Israel, TAMID, Africa SC and the Environmental Student Assembly are uniting around the common goal of raising awareness for the Innovation: Africa, a nonprofit organization that brings Israeli technology to African villages. Its goal is to provide African villages with three solar panels costing $1,500 in total. So far, Innovation: Africa has provided more than 700,000 people with light, clean water and medical care in Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Senegal, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The nonprofit installs solar panels to power schools, orphanages, medical clinics and water-pumping systems in Africa. It also provides farmers with drip irrigation technologies.
Jeff Levine, a member of TAMID, explained that bringing Israeli technology to Africa will improve the quality of life.
“Innovation: Africa seeks to use the Israeli entrepreneurial spirit to find new and efficient ways to help people get their electricity, clean water and sanitation needs,” Levine wrote in an email. “Israeli technology is at the heart of what Innovation: Africa does.”
Maya Fried, co-president of ’SC Students for Israel, stated that she was motivated to help Innovation: Africa because she is always on the lookout for initiatives that bring the lesser-known parts of Israel to other communities.
“Israel is innovating and changing the way we use technology,” Fried wrote in an email.
The similarity of Israel’s terrain to that of Africa has allowed Israel to develop such technologies, and there are numerous populations of Ethiopians, Sudanese and Eritreans emigrating to Israel.
Fried feels compelled to provide technologies to African villages, because “it’s so close to home, both literally and figuratively.”
Africa SC joined the initiative in hopes of providing electricity to African communities.
Shae Aremu, president of Africa SC, said the conditions of many African communities are very poor.
“Often, they do not have consistent electricity or running water. Sometimes they don’t have the power or energy to run facilities,” Aremu said. “We are endeavoring to provide solar panels because these villages have little access to resources or money that would enable them to power their homes, schools or businesses.”
The Environmental Student Assembly looks forward to the installment of the solar panels because it will provide communities with a sustainable source of energy.
“There is no pollution once the solar panels are installed,” Jinny Choi, the director of university outreach for ESA, wrote in an email. “So it’s also considered a clean energy.”
This campaign is unique in that it encompasses four student organizations with different missions working for the same objective.
Members agree that it has been a rewarding experience.
“It was an incredible opportunity to help further Innovation: Africa’s mission to bring sustainable tech solutions to African communities in need,” Danielle Fallon, the vice president of TAMID, said.
Fried said that she hopes collaborations between student organizations such as this continue in the future.
“We are doing this together in emulation of how Innovation: Africa and global aid works. Hopefully these collaborations will only lead to similar events in the future, and I cannot wait for the next project to present itself,” Fried said.
In order to raise the money to buy the solar panels, the organizations will hold an event at Nature’s Brew at 7 p.m. this Wednesday. Bazar Ensemble will perform at the events and all proceeds will go to Innovation: Africa.