"Educating Children In Africa through a Mobile Solar Cinema"

Many villages in The Gambia, West Africa, have no electricity and face many challenges: poverty because of lack of jobs; insufficient health provision; loss of young people to the city and as migrants; water supply difficulties; deforestation, among others. The action is needed to take place at night after farming, fishing, and other activities. Educating the children needs the same equipment during the day. So what is the answer? A mobile solar cinema! 

 "Mobile Education in an Eco-Friendly Manner"

Make a difference by helping to improve the lives of Gambian people. A start has been made to bring about change. In 2014 and 2015,55 ecovillage “Champions” were trained as facilitators by completing an Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) course. The Champions all came from a group of seaside villages that they have named “The People’s Coast”. They are very keen to share their knowledge and skills with their fellow citizens and loved ones and are a highly valuable resource. But other resources are needed.

To reach the villages the EDE Champions need transport. What better way than a school bus? Getting educational equipment to the villages needs transport. What better way than a school bus? Showing films at night needs electricity. What better way than a solar powered cinema built into the same bus? Take out some of the seats, put the solar panels on top, the equipment, the batteries and the Champions inside and off you go. 

Where Will Your Money Go?

We have identified a good US school bus as the base vehicle and we can buy it for $7,500 (the owner will keep it for us for a limited time).Kitting out the bus with solar, plus the “bits” and fitting it out, will cost $3,000 and the cinema kit plus assembly will cost another $4,000 – a total of $14,500, and $1,500 fees for Launch Good.  We would be so grateful if you could help us, crowd, fund this amount.

 "School Bus with Solar Panels- Moving Cinema"

The EDE Champions learned about the state of the planet and the world - but they also learnt about the social, environmental, ecological and economic improvements that are possible through community action and development. They want to share this knowledge in their villages.Since June 2015, the Champions have met every month. They have registered the group (The People’s Coast Ecovillage Network) as a charity and have continued their training. More importantly, they are finding ways of creating new businesses and jobs for themselves and others.The bus has been identified; a group of volunteers is ready to buy and transport the cinema equipment by road from England in June; the solar panels and batteries can be bought in The Gambia. Some initial donations have been received.

How You Can Help (The Ask/Rewards)

Help us to buy the bus and the solar cinema system; send us films and cartoons for showing to the kids and adults; we will provide the educational materials, the people to renovate the bus and to install the system. Share with friends and family using the Launchgood sharing tools above and by any other means.

Thank you