Greenpeace Solar Training in Patna (Bihar, India) 2017

Training detailsDates: 31.1/1.2.2017 – Solar electricity

2.2./3.2.2017 – Solar cooking and dryingLocation: Tarumitra Ashram, Patna, BiharParticipants: Key persons from Kedia, Bihar Local organizers: Ishteyaque Ahmed, Saif Khalid Solar trainers: Dr. Michael Götz, Victoria Aguilera

GP International trainer on Solar energy Michael Gotz and his partner Victoria Aguilera facilitated two workshops for the GP Patna Team and Kedia farmers from 31 Jan to 03 Feb In Patna. The trainings were conducted under the Learning Places programme.

The first 2-day workshop was focused on solar power which included the theories and practical aspects of solar power. Along with Rajkumar Bhai and Manoj Bhai from Kedia, Saif and I participated in the workshop. We made solar torches, solar suitcase and many more things during the two days apart from learning the basics of solar electricity.

The next 2 days were dedicated for solar cooking and drying. The facilitators also shared various solar-based techniques to clean the water. All the themes were very useful for Kedia farmers so 8 people including 3 women from the village actively participated in the learning process. We got to learn making Funnel solar cooker, Tunnel solar dryer and their uses. We also assembled one parabolic solar cooker purchased for the workshop on the first day.

The challenging part of the workshop was the very low temperatures and absence of the sun during the first three days. For our surprise, the Sun God pleased us with his august presence and we cooked Dal, baked a cake and dried different fruits and vegetables with the help of the cookers and dryers we made the previous day. We ate the delicacies food prepared using Victoria’s fantastic recipes at the end of the workshop.

Kedia farmers are excited to learn solar cooking and drying because these techniques will not only help them in smokeless cooking but will create opportunities to increase their incomes by the new forms of food processing. Vice president of Jeevit Mati Kisan Samiti Anandi Yadav said that he will ensure that solar cooking and food processing becomes a mission.

As a BLS team member I am very happy to see that Kedia is moving ahead to become truly a model of self-reliant rural development and ecological agriculture.

Thanks a ton to Victoria and Michael for the extra-ordinary facilitation and effective implementation of the workshop. I would also like to thank Saif for the perfect arrangements. A big thank you for Vineetha to make this happen.

Ishteyaque Ahmed

Dear friends,