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| With other leaders from the Community Solutions Program |
I entered Reagan National Airport like a cow in a china shop, guileless. The airport is small but so choked with travellers that I was literally dehydrated after the long check-in which was a mission indeed. But as soon as the aircraft kissed the tarmac, dancing on the Burlington runway, I was invigorated. Minutes before landing, while dangling in the sky, I had been greeted by the lush green landscape and then upon disembarking, the joy of seeing solar panels sitting on roof tops. Incredibly green, progressive Vermont!
I didn’t really have much expectations coming to the Green Mountain State for my four months Community Solutions Fellowship with 350Vermont, but at this stage, I had figured out many more. First impression they say is the last impression, mine was everlasting. Having received a warming welcome by my amazing community mentor and 350Vermont volunteers organizer Brittany Dunn, I ushered into my first week in Burlington. Hoping that through adventure and glorious serendipity, Vermont will explain itself.
My first weekend was spent at the Farmers Market at the City Hall Park, an indoor local farmers market providing the community with producer grown and produced products. What made me tick about the farmers market was the fact that food items on display were locally grown and the powerful sense of community and belonging expressed by the people who thronged the space to interact and buy. The closest inspiration of a community market back in Ghana that I have visited is the Accra Green Market. What an amazing experience it was visiting with the team from our organization Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM) within the last two years.
The first Sunday was spent at the Unitarian Universalist Church. As a devout Christian and an activist, it was truly a humbling experience communing with people from all walks of life, conscious about social and environmental justice and are either people of faith or are finding their own path. But maybe, the ‘kairos moment’ was rather the selfie moment -- in front of the Church’s incredible parking lot inundated with solar panels, the largest solar infrastructure I have ever seen on a parking lot. It wasn’t just progressive and impressive, it was inspiring and transforming.
I didn’t have to ask for more in my first week in Vermont before it got delivered. Meeting JT Lukens, a Solar Community Organizer at SunCommon presented an in-depth insight into the solar friendly policies in the state, coupled with the financing strategies driving the solar revolution in Vermont. It was also indeed a great opportunity to share the Ghanaian renewable energy journey, challenges and potentials, as well as the work we are doing with Solar People in Ghana with an amazing and passionate team of young entrepreneurs, technicians and marketers to promote the solar technology.
There is definitely more to Vermont that I haven’t experienced so far in Burlington. I hope to travel more to Montpelier to meet non-profit organizations; attend conferences on solar energy; eat more sandwiches to fatten me up a little; get the attention of Juniper, my housemate’s dog to take a photo with me. And in the course of this adventure, if I face any conundrum, I won’t hesitate to yell, Vermont: explain yourself!
