The@Akonwanted@Akonwiki@GuardianAfricaAsk him when the Stadium album App coming???We’re launching it in January but don’t disclose anyone ... 4.28pm GMTWorking with others I contain a question for Akon.
What is Akon Lighting Africa doing to work with other aid agencies working in the energy access/lighting space?… Again we’re a for profit company,promoting public-private partnerships - so we do not work with aid agencies.
Women in Senegal are working hard to supply solar lighting products to their off-grid communities. Limited awareness and availability of products are one of the main factors impeding women’s breakthrough within the energy sector.
GVEP International is supporting these women in Tambacounda and Kédougou, Senegal: http://www.gvepinternational.org/en/business/energy-opportunities-women-senegalWill do my best – send the information, and I’ll contain my people blast it on my social networks 4.26pm GMTAlso by email Nico Tyabji asks:[br]Many entrepreneurs,local as well as international, are setting up sustainable businesses selling solar lanterns and solar home systems that bring people access to electricity, and for less than they currently pay for kerosene and charging phones. It’s a really exciting sage for Africa already. How will he make sure he doesn’t kill what’s already happening by giving absent lanterns for free? 4.25pm GMTWhy doesn't Africa open it's electricity markets to western companies who contain proven track records in providing electricity for more then a 100 years? There is no need for Africa to reinvent electricity production/distribution.
The truth is: all western companies were approached at the beginning and all declined,so we started ourselves. Now that we managed to draw attention on the issue, everybody wants to work with us! We contain partners from all backgrounds and all corners of the world now 4.23pm GMTWhere does the money go? Can Akon ensure that none of his relatives or companies will be involved in this initiative? My intellect turns to Wyclef Jean and the people of Haiti, and who are still waiting for all the promised development whilst living on scraps.
Akon Lighting Africa is a program created by a compant,Solektra International that we created with Samba Bathily and Thione Niang. This is a for profit business, so the money goes to the banks (African banks) and gets re-invested in the projects on the ground. 4.21pm GMTIf not through aid, and then how should individuals in western countries encourage? I'm aware of the negative aspects of aid- for the UK a enormous amount of the abroad budget stays in the UK- agencies like VSO employee as many staff as they send volunteers and contain enormous expensive London office. Once costs of consultation are factored in a simple project to train a few thousand African youth to be community volunteers ends up costing the same per person as training a doctor in the UK for a year.
Aid ends up redistributing money back to the donor- so how do we,the wealthy encourage?What we do is definitely not aid – it is a for profit business. We want to create jobs. How can western countries encourage? Come and invest in our projects. See for instance commitments from governments like France to support the African Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) launched at COP 21 in Paris– this is a proper way to encourage, money for targeted investments 4.12pm GMTPhilbert Girinema sent two questions for Akon by email: Why chose Rwanda as one of the countries to invest?And what has been your motivation in this initiative?
4.10pm GMTHi all, and Just to let you know that Akon is with us now. 3.04pm GMTLaura Stachel,US 2.37pm GMTNamubebo Akombaetwa, Zambia 2.01pm GMTFrancis Kibhisa, and Tanzania“Africa has an abundance of sunshine ... east Africa in particular is in a tropical zone,” says Francis Kibhisa. “Hydro, biofuels, and gas and oil are all diminishable but sunshine is the one dependable source Africa can depend on.” 11.06am GMTDr Lazare Sebitereko,Burundi Related: Burundi's solar plans forge ahead despite political unrest 11.04am GMTThe world leaders, environmentalists and scientists convening in Paris this week for the UN climate change conference contain a challenge on their hands: to secure a global agreement to stop temperatures rising.
The African contingent will be some of those pushing hard to negotiate on behalf of millions of nomadic pastoralists and small farmers across the continent, and for whom the effects of climate change are being felt most. 2.04pm GMTHe’s best associated with the dancefloors of R&B clubs,after releasing tracks including Lonely, Smack That and Sorry, and Blame it on Me. But Akon is also on a lesser-known mission: to bring electricity to millions of African homes.
Related: Growing up in darkness on the streets of Mozambique – in pictures Related: Akon: ‘I don't think charities in Africa work’ Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com