Atasa Solar | Make Solar
Atasa Solar: Make Solar
Community-designed, Empowered Renewable Energy For All.
Community-designed, Empowered Renewable Energy For All.
Ester and Kilakoi of OMWA lead the way as we survey the remaining 10 locations for the village solar lights.
A collaboration of
OMWA: Olorgesailie Maasai Women Artisans of Kenya + IdiaDega
+ LAGI: Land Art Generator Initiative
OMWA: Olorgesailie Maasai Women Artisans of Kenya + IdiaDega
+ LAGI: Land Art Generator Initiative
OMWA members install first of a series of Rungu village solar lights.
Siyai of OMWA at her Atasa Solar Rungu Village light.
Job Solar, Tale Leah of OMWA and Cess Nkoyo celebrate Tale’s first soldering success. We are making our own solar components for our Atasa Solar wearable products.
Early concept sketches for some of the wearable products currently in production.
Atasa Solar ™️ (Trademark pending) is making renewable energy public structures and wearable solar garments in collaboration with Indigenous communities to overcome environmental, economic, design racism and misogyny beginning in Olorgesailie Kenya.
Energy access is an…
Environmental
Race
Gender
Economic
Ecological
Agricultural
Education
Design
Social
Cultural
Political
Justice Issue
In the spirit of Kenyan “Jua Kali - get it done” tradition, this “fierce sun” energizes our global project launching in the Maasai community of Olorgesailie, Kenya. Our community led design process marries traditional Indigenous architecture and design skills with contemporary renewable energy materials. This is a new design language process for clean energy systems designed by and for Indigenous people and the world. The new sustainable model for the production of culturally-apt renewable energy products can then be implemented in other communities all over the world.
In addition to capacity building and cultural exchange, the project will result in functional solar energy structures, personal wearable charging garments, and sustainable energy from communities.
We are currently in Kenya and we plan to bring this project to Pittsburgh with the help and design knowledge of some of the OMWA artisans.
Atasa Solar: Olorgesailie
Atasa Solar: Pittsburgh
Thank you for your financial support:
Opportunity Fund
Dawn and Chris Fleischner, Fleischner Family Charitable Foundation
Thank you for in-kind and equipment support:
Jon Gann and Michael Shankle
Thanks to our 91 Indiegogo campaign contributors including:
Jessica Manack
Bethan Rayner
Carl Sisco
Mista Sparklet
Ms. Peachie
Thank you. Asante sana (Kiswahili) Ashe oleng (Kimaasai).
Energy access is an…
Environmental
Race
Gender
Economic
Ecological
Agricultural
Education
Design
Social
Cultural
Political
Justice Issue
In the spirit of Kenyan “Jua Kali - get it done” tradition, this “fierce sun” energizes our global project launching in the Maasai community of Olorgesailie, Kenya. Our community led design process marries traditional Indigenous architecture and design skills with contemporary renewable energy materials. This is a new design language process for clean energy systems designed by and for Indigenous people and the world. The new sustainable model for the production of culturally-apt renewable energy products can then be implemented in other communities all over the world.
In addition to capacity building and cultural exchange, the project will result in functional solar energy structures, personal wearable charging garments, and sustainable energy from communities.
We are currently in Kenya and we plan to bring this project to Pittsburgh with the help and design knowledge of some of the OMWA artisans.
Atasa Solar: Olorgesailie
Atasa Solar: Pittsburgh
Thank you for your financial support:
Opportunity Fund
Dawn and Chris Fleischner, Fleischner Family Charitable Foundation
Thank you for in-kind and equipment support:
Jon Gann and Michael Shankle
Thanks to our 91 Indiegogo campaign contributors including:
Jessica Manack
Bethan Rayner
Carl Sisco
Mista Sparklet
Ms. Peachie
Thank you. Asante sana (Kiswahili) Ashe oleng (Kimaasai).
Dikka, Ester and Naomy of OMWA working on the beadwork for the first Rungu solar lights.
Dikka showing off the beadwork on the personal solar kits every OMWA will receive thanks on large part to our successful Indiegogo campaign. Ashe and Asante
OMWA sketches created during design charettes in 2016, showing their ideas of what solar and the sun’s impact is in their lives. Homes, livestock, food, family - just some of what impact solar power will have on their lives.
Atasa means “Make” or “We made it” in Kimaasai the language of the Maasai.