Radical Power: Community action in the sun

The scorching sun on the hot Sunday afternoon did not deter the enthusiastic Mumbaikars from going to the Farmers’ Market, to attend ‘Radical Power’, a workshop on solar energy, organized by the Academy of Earth Sustainability and the Kidsstoppress at Maharashtra Nature Park. Kids and adults, spent their time building solar ovens, learning about the abundance of solar energy, and how it can be used to cook food at home in a healthy and an environment-friendly way. Beating the heat, people ‘Discovered the magic of solar power’, while having fun in the sun.

In three batches of one hour each, nearly 60 children attended the workshop accompanied by their parents. To begin with, the children learned making ‘Banana Marshmallows’ in solar cookers. This was followed by building solar ovens. The kids prepared their own solar cookers using cardboard boxes, black paints, and silver foils. During the session, the curious children inquired about the importance of solar cooking, and the purpose and function of each component. Our very own Sukriti Gupta used fun games and exercises to answer these questions, and enlighten the kids about the necessity of harnessing solar energy and using it as a replacement for the non-renewable ones.

Simultaneously, our solar genius Amol Ghag led the workshop for the adults – teaching them how to large solar ovens that can be used for cooking fish and pasta at homes, and explaining why they are the best substitute for the fuel stoves. He also worked with the organic farmers to build solar seed driers to help them better preserve their seeds.

The entire community truly came together to celebrate the value and importance of solar. The farmers, adults and kids really enjoyed the workshop, and found it very innovative and interesting. One of the parents said, “It was a brilliant effort. The children gained knowledge about all the technical things with hands-on learning, which is very useful and much-needed.”