Kenya’s Obama Schools E-Mail President Obama on Climate Change

KOGELO, Kenya and COPENHAGEN, Denmark, December 2 /PRNewswire/ — Pupils
and students of the Senator Obama schools in Western Kenya have sent their
first emails using solar energy to US President Barack Obama. They urge him
to put his weight behind renewable energy in the run-up to Copenhagen which
is just days away. A copy of the mail and a drawing was sent to the
Greenpeace Solar Generation Youth delegation in Copenhagen who handed it over
to the US ambassador in Denmark asking him to inform Obama when he will be
his host.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091202/369588 )

The excited Kenyan pupils sent a strong message; “Please President Obama
do something. We just want to ask you to help other children all the over the
world access solar power. Teacher Ann sees connection of climate change and
the drought in Kogelo village and said that solar power is a solution to
climate change. Help protect the climate, this is our future.”

Making reference to some of the drawings of solar panels sitting at the
old iron sheet roofs of their classrooms and those of Mama Sarah Obama, the
grandmother of the US president, the pupils informed him that hadn’t it been
for solar power, they would have never afforded to reach him through email.
Their counterparts at secondary level in a separate email made a simple
request asking him to use his “great office to encourage the utilization of
renewable energies such as solar power,” they said. “We want other students
in communities similar to ours to be able to enjoy their education like we do
here in Kogelo.”

The Solar Power was installed by Greenpeace SolarGeneration project in
August 2009. The ability to call on world leaders to protect the environment
by such under privileged children who had never seen a computer until later
this year is a reminder to world leaders ahead of the UN Climate summit that
the world needs greener energies and this is their moment to make the
breakthrough that they have promised on climate change. Bidding Obama a safe
trip to Copenhagen, the students ended with “We hope you can”.

A picture accompanying this release is available on AP Archive:
http://photoarchive.ap.org (PRN12)

    Pictures: http://www.greenpeace.ch/de/presse/pressebilder/

    Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19IVrm_Ku-o

    Contact:

    Fiona Musana
    Communications Director
    Greenpeace Africa
    Tel.: +27-79-512-9381
    E-Mail: fmusana@greenpeace.org

    Joshiah Ramogi
    Project Coordinator
    Greenpeace Switzerland
    Mobile: +41-79-815-23-22
    E-Mail: Buero.Bern@ch.greenpeace.org

SOURCE Greenpeace Switzerland / Greenpeace Africa