Solar Buddy Program at Chapel Hill State School- 31 march 2022
On Thursday 31st march, the Kenmore Rotary Club presented the Solar Buddy Program with 100 yr. 4 students at Chapel Hill State School to learn about solar energy and to assemble 50 solar study lights for overseas students.
Solar Buddy is a registered international charity based in Brisbane www.SolarBuddy.org and they contact service organisations like Rotary to connect local schools with other children and families throughout the world who live in energy poverty. This is their Buddy2Buddy program which starts with one small light given from one child here to another living without mains electricity. Our schools have chosen PNG students to receive their lights where only 20% of the whole population has access to regular electricity, mostly in larger towns, but in rural areas, it is only 6%. These small remote communities would only have smoky kerosene or expensive disposable battery lighting at night, so health, cost & safety issues limit children being able to read or do homework at night
Project leaders Ross Thomas and Brian Becconsall of Kenmore Rotary are keen to support local students in their understanding of sustainable development and to develop international linkages with neighbouring countries. This fits in to Rotary’s motto “Service above Self” and their 4th Object- “Advancement of International Understanding, Goodwill and Peace “. Club members Martin Grabert, Urvi Shah, and Ricky Haberfield helped with the school teachers in the assembly.
This program has received great support from Chapel Hill SS staff, led by Deputy Principal Tal Mitchell since 2018, and the completed lights will be joined with lights from other sources by Solar Buddy and sent to PNG schools later this year to be distributed to schools by the Kokoda Track Foundation.
This is the club’s 6th year in carrying out this joint project with four Western Brisbane schools, and brings the total number of lights provided to students in PNG over the last 6 years to 1224 assembled by over 1150 students.
To find out more information about Kenmore Rotary, go to www.rotarykenmore.org
or email info@rotarykenmore.org
Brian Becconsall- Kenmore Rotary 31-3--2022
Solar Buddy Program at Our Lady of the Rosary (OLR) School- 25th May 2022
On Wednesday 25th may, the Kenmore Rotary Club presented the Solar Buddy Program with 34 yr. 6 students at OLR school at Kenmore to learn about solar energy and to assemble 50 solar study lights for students in PNG.
Solar Buddy is a registered international charity based in Brisbane www.SolarBuddy.org and they contact service organisations like Rotary to connect local schools with other children throughout the world who live in energy poverty.
This fits in to Rotary’s motto “Service above Self” and their 4th Object- “Advancement of International Understanding, Goodwill and Peace “. This program has returned to OLR after their participation in 2017 and 2018, and the principal and staff at OLR were very supportive of the program which neatly fits into their STEM teaching program.
This year the students are raising funds for the school’s share of purchase of lights by selling raffle tickets and their completed lights will be joined with lights from other sources by Solar Buddy and sent to PNG schools later this year to be distributed to schools by the Kokoda Track Foundation.
This is the club’s 6th year in carrying out this joint project with four Western Brisbane schools, and brings the total number of lights provided to students in PNG over the last 6 years to 1274 assembled by over 1184 students.
To find out more information about Kenmore Rotary, go to www.rotarykenmore.org
or email info@rotarykenmore.org
Brian Becconsall- Kenmore Rotary 29-5-2022
Solar Buddy Program at St Peters College Indooroopilly- 18thAug 2022
On Thurs 18th august, the Kenmore Rotary Club presented the Solar Buddy Program with 118 yr. 6 students at St Peters Lutheran College to learn about solar energy and to assemble 125 solar study lights for students in PNG.
Solar Buddy is a registered international charity based in Brisbane www.SolarBuddy.org and they contact service organisations like Rotary to connect local schools with other children throughout the world who live in energy poverty.
This fits in to Rotary’s motto “Service above Self” and their 4th Object- “Advancement of International Understanding, Goodwill and Peace “. This program has been running at St Peters since 2018. Their completed lights will be joined with lights from other sources by Solar Buddy and sent to PNG schools later this year to be distributed to schools by the Kokoda Track Foundation.
This is the club’s 6th year in carrying out this joint project with four Western Brisbane schools, and brings the total number of lights provided to students in PNG over this period to 1399 assembled by over 1300 students.
To find out more information about Kenmore Rotary, go to www.rotarykenmore.org
or email info@rotarykenmore.org
Brian Becconsall- Kenmore Rotary 19-8-22