My neighbor, Ben Markham (excellent engineer, genius in general, and all-around great guy) and his outstanding wife, Julie, went on a mission to Ghana and saw that there was a desperate need for light for the kids to study by. Having a convenient source of light after it gets dark is crucial to the education of these kids since their work and chores keep them occupied till nightfall. Seeing this need got the wheels in Ben's mind (which I'm convinced is a finely tuned machine) turning, and he came up with an innovative solution: harness the energy of the kids and turn that into power.
After tons and tons of work, Empower Playgrounds was formed. A merry-go-round was designed that, when played on, generates power to recharge lanterns. It's so unbelievable to think that playground equipment can have such a profound influence on these kids' lives; the benefits of a merry-go-round at the school are innumerable. Obviously, it's FUN! And it provides the kids with the light they need to study and is an invaluable catalyst to their education. But beyond the obvious, the merry-go-rounds have clear panels so that the kids can see the parts inside it and how they work--a spinning science lab! Going even further, the kids are put into study groups, and each of the groups gets a rechargeable lantern. The kid selected to be the "keeper of the light" has the important duties of being study group leader. So from one piece of playground equipment, students are enabled with power, responsibility, hands-on learning experiences, and fun!
My dad was able to go with Ben to Ghana in February. After seeing my dad's pictures and video, I am way excited to be going with him for round two! Tomorrow we fly to New York, where we're going to stay for a couple days, and Wednesday we head to Ghana. Just to give you a taste of what I'll be seeing, click here to see a video recap of my dad's trip to Ghana with Empower Playgrounds.
Please click "Comments" below and leave your comments and questions! Thanks! -Jazmyn
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