As a small and humble organization, ourย gratitude reaches beyond the stars everytime you make a dream come true. Our quest for solar started a year ago when our small group visited a farm in Carver, Minnesota that was fully operated by this renewable energy. This experience gave us the hope and inspiration to make this possible. In June, we discussed this opportunity at our strategic plan meeting to determine the feasibility. After agreeing to move forward with this project, the fundraising plans began. In October, aย fundraiser in New York City raised over $5,200 for this initiative. And as of January 26, 2019, solar power electrifies our center.
The first phase of our solar initiative provides 24/7 lights, runs ceiling fans for cooling in our classrooms, and supports our business office during the day. A total cost of $6,000 (includes general funds) purchased all the materials for phase 1. As aย learning opportunity, the vendorย Taleance T Tokpah (the owner of T & T Solar Tech) worked with our electrician students to install the solar.
Taleance T Tokpah standing in the center by the table instructs our students on how to test the panels.
Before we can implement phase 2, our diesel generator will be used for our computer training course three times a week. In the near future, we will discuss the next steps to cover all our center’s power needs on solar. In the meantime, please enjoy the photos of our students learning something new.
Panel Installation
You empowered our electrician students (blue and red shirts) to help install our solar panels with our vendor and technician, Taleance T Tokpah.
Your electrician students working together to install solar panels under the guidance of Taleance T Tokpah.
Wire Connection
Your students and Kelvin Fomba (UDS Co-Founder & Director) testing the connections between the roof and ceiling.
Your student preparing the wire to connect the panels to the control box.
UDSย Lights Powered By Solar
UDS Training Center now powered by solar.
Thank you so much to our generous supporters in New York City! You gave our students reliable and stable electricity at our center. What remarkable gift! Also, our sincere thanks toย Taleance T Tokpahย for sharing his knowledge and expertise with our students!
Graduated 75 vocational training students on March 24, 2018.
Supported 150 vocational training students enrolled in one of eight one-year courses.
Sponsored 17 academic scholarship students attending primary and secondary schools.
Sponsored 5 vocational training students enrolled in our program.
Supported 35 youth to attend the 2019ย Permaculture Design Certification Training.
Furthermore, your passionate commitment to giving Liberian Youth knowledge and skills is a worthwhile investment. Here is a video showing your tremendous accomplishments in 2018.
By the way, this video features the music “Education is Better than Silver & Gold” written and sung by one of our former computer students, Enoch Daniel Tarr. Additionally, Ernest Norris Jr.created and published the video. Thank you to these aspiring young Liberian Artists!
To conclude this extraordinary year, Liberian Youth give you their heartfelt thanks!ย
As you know, one of our greatest challengesย is reliable electricity. In late November,ย the transformer blew-out near our center. Additionally, the company said it would not be fixed until February. Previously, the transformer failed numerous times in the last three years. However, it never took this long to be repaired.ย
Due to thisย issue, we purchased a diesel generatorย to operate our computer course because the electrical load overpowers ourย gas machine. For now, we use this noisy and dirty generator. Without delay, our Liberian Co-Founder,ย Kelvin Fomba, works overtime to find an appropriate vendor to determine our needs for solar.
In short, implementing a solar project requires patience and ample resources. Despite raising $5,200 in October, the funds fall short of covering our electrical needs. Thus, Kelvin contacted local companies to compare estimates of kilowatt-hour usage and costs of installing solar. Initially, we hope to start with enough solar panels to cover our lights 24/7 and our business office during the day. During the off hours, the freezer will be turned on for our water sales.ย Presently, we sell water to help buy stationery supplies, phone cards, etc. In the meantime, the diesel generator will operateย three days a week to supply the electricity for computer classes.
As they often say in Liberia, “it is not easy-o.” Stay tuned for updates as we complete the first phase of this project and plan for the next phase.
Thank you to everyone helping us achieve reliable and sustainable energy!!!
In our October 11 article, “Making UDS Known to the Surrounding Community,” we highlighted the different marketing strategies employed toย encourage peopleย to stopย and visit our center. One strategy involves our students doing their practicals outside our center and this gets us noticed. An example of this occurred on November 21. A 68-year-old Ghana man named Joseph walked by and observed our electrician students struggling to do an assignment. The students needed to bend pipes into 90-degree angles to route electrical wires in a building. As he watched them fail at their attempts, Joseph wanted to offer his help.ย
He immediately approachedย Kelvin Fomba, UDS Co-Founder & Director, and shared that he is an electrical engineer. Joseph then asked if we provided vocational training because he often seesย our students at work. He further explained that he had a better way to bend pipes and wanted to demonstrate this to our students.ย Kelvin followed by welcoming him and stressing UDS is a school of learning. Also, he explained that we are always open to people willing to share their knowledge with our students.
Joseph proceeded to join our students and demonstrated his method for bending pipe. He first showed them how to fill the straight pipe with sand so it would maintain its round shape. Then, he put the pipe over the coal to heat it so he could bend it. The students watched in awe as he bent the pipe into a perfect 90-degree angle. Next, our students applied this low-tech process in bending pipes for their practicals.
Joseph showing your electrician students a simple way to bend pipe properly
Joseph expressed his gratitude to be able to teach our students an easier way to bend pipe. Kelvin in return thanked him for his help. He then explained ourย plans to install solar panels and some of the challenges with determining our needs. So, Joseph sat down with everyone and went over some of the basics for solar power. He plans to return soon to help our students and team to determine the number of solar panels and batteries needed to power our center.
Joseph sharing his knowledge about solar to your students
Finally, our Liberian team’s effortsย to advertise our students work outside the center paid off with the visit from Joseph. It is our hope that more people will stop in and learn more about our activities. We welcome anyone who loves to share their knowledge andย improve the quality of our student’s training. Remember, the welcome mat is always out for you.
Your investment in Liberian Youth teaches them marketable skills and prepares them to be ready for any opportunity that comes their way. As you have witnessed, our students work diligently in perfecting their craft, and through your continued support, they are able to advance their skills with real experience.
One of our sustaining supporters, Joel Decker of Starland Charities in Minnesota, donated $350 to purchase the advanced learning materials for our electrician students and four ceiling fans for our center to help improve the learning environment.
Joel fulfilled a wish expressed by our electrician students during the general meeting on September 29, when they requested supplies to learn how to install three-phase power for commercial buildings. The instructor, Boakai Dillon, started working with the students the day the supplies were purchased. Our students practiced how to connect three-phase and how to add the different type of breakers to the control box. This simple act of kindness by Joel helps our electrician students take their skill training to a higher level.
Your electrician students learning how to install three-phase power
Our students also received the opportunity to install the our ceiling fans in the great room of our center and connecting them to the breaker. The electrician students received real experience, and all students will benefit from a comfortable learning environment with the onset of hotter temperatures from the dry season.
Your electrician students installing ceiling fans to provide a cooler climate at their training center
Your commitment to young men and women allows them to hit the ground running after graduation. They are prepared to adapt to any type of work environment with the foundation of skills in their given trade. Your support is essential to their future success.
Thank you, Joel, for fulfilling the wishes of our electrician students!
From all of the board members and volunteers of Uniting Distant Stars, we would like to express our immense gratitude for all of our donors. This past year we were able to accomplish many things. From the opening of our Vocational Training Center to the many students who graduated from the program, your belief and support in our vision have helped young people use their new skills to change the world around them. We would now like to share with you more information on how Uniting Distant Stars has been impacting the of youth in Liberia.
Auto Mechanics Course
With this course, students are taught a craft that they can use to not just help themselves but also help others. In the beginning, students study how to identify different parts of machines that they will use later on. During the course, students also master different maintenance services such as oil changes, repairing brakes, and overhauling engines. Both young men and women take part in this course and gain knowledge that allows them to create opportunities for themselves.
Catering Course
Students that have enrolled in this course have been able to learn many valuable lessons. At the start, they learn the basics of food preparation and how it is important to ensure all the necessary equipment and ingredients are together before they move forward with a recipe. They also go over safety procedures to ensure that everyone is safe while learning. During this course, students are able to practice making different baked goods along with full course meals. An important aspect of this program is teaching them skills that they can use to be independent. In the end, students can apply what they have learned by having their own catering businesses or any other opportunities they find.
Computer Course
Because we live in a technological age, computer skills are important to have. This course focuses on teaching students how to use a computer for various functions. During the course of the year, the students have studied about the many components of a computer along with using Microsoft software. They are also taught basic typing skills and use what they have mastered to not only browse the internet but also complete online job applications.
Cosmetology Course
While enrolled in this particular course students obtain many valuable skills to be successful in this area of expertise. The students gain knowledge on how to properly cut hair and master the art of plaiting (braiding) hair. In addition, they are taught how to perform both manicures and pedicures as part of the curriculum. The students apply their skills by giving free haircuts and other treatments to kids within the community. Seasoned students recruit clients and earn money as they provide services to cover the cost of hair and other materials.
Electrician Course
As students enroll in the courses at Uniting Distant Stars, they practice different crafts that empower them to acquire new skills to help lead them into their bright futures. Students studying to become electricians begin by covering the basics about what electricity is. Then, throughout the course, students go over many parts and tools. To showcase all they have studied, they work on projects such as installing lights, outlets, and switches.
Hotel Management Course
This course gives students the opportunity to gain knowledge about an industry that is very prominent throughout the world. In the beginning, students absorb information about the hotel industry and the many operations that are a part of working in hotel management. They are also trained in customer service and how to treat guests properly. To help them gain real-world experience, students are given the opportunity to intern at two local hotels where they can further sharpen their skills.
Plumbing Course
The courses available at UDS are diverse and offer youth many opportunities to enhance their previous skills and learn new ones. The plumbing course allows students to learn about plumbing systems and how they function. Students understand the importance of the sanitation and how plumbing systems function. Students also learn about the different tools involved and apply their knowledge by installing pipes and other commonly used fixtures such as sinks, tubs, and commodes within the community.
Tailoring Course
Like many of the other courses, students use what they have learned to not only better themselves but also their communities. As students study the trade of tailoring, they learn how to make clothes and other items. Whether theyโre learning how to properly use machinery or they are working with fabric and stitching, students are gaining knowledge in a skill that can be used to benefit everyone.
As you can see, within the span of our one-year courses students are encouraged to study many skills and put them into action. No matter what circumstances they come from, each student strives to make the most of their opportunity. Once again, we want to show our appreciation to our donors and those who support our work. You are not just investing for the future of these youth but towards the future of Liberia.
Kevin Nah is a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota Duluth with degrees in Cultural Entrepreneurship & Hispanics Studies. He is currently a Communications Intern at Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC). Kevin service with Uniting Distant Stars started in 2017 and he previously wrote an inspiring article, “This Could Have Been Me“.
Auto Mechanics Course 
Catering Course 
Computer Course 
Cosmetology Course 
Electrician Course 
Hotel Management Course 
Plumbing Course 
Tailoring Course 
Kevin Nah