Accra consists of two hotels

This, my first visit to Africa is short, intense and full of activity.  The whirlwind of activity starts as soon as we land.  Participants gather on board a bus for the ride to the hotel.  The hotel is clean and modern, along the lines of 70's Scandinavian Design inspiration.  It's about 30 minutes from the La Royal Palm where the conference is being held.  There is a pool, a bar, and internet connection.  Essential elements for comfort.  The drive between the hotels will be the most of Accra that I see over the course of the next three days, excluding the trip to the market. We travel through the more upscale part of Accra.  There are nice houses with manicured lawns and walls with razor wire.  The commercial areas are studded by outdoor work areas displaying products.  Signs are hand painted and hung where ever it is convenient.  On the other end of the spectrum are broken down cars, gutted of usable parts,  and litter & burning piles of garbage along the road.  There are few cars on the road.  Most people walk the road to and from their homes.  

The first night I sit at the bar drinking the local beer chatting with Phil from Pico Hydro and a local woman named Princess.  We discuss the excitement we feel to be part of this conference. It feels big and important to be surrounded by smart, passionate people, focused on solving this problem of lighting for and with the people of Africa.   As if we are on the edge of something so explosive and alive that we may burn in the process.  Listening to others who have been working, in some capacity, in Africa for the preceding years is enlightening.  Many people have been working to understand the problems of low cost lighting and how to create sustainable models which provide it. The Lumina Project, Evan Mills, Arne Jacobson,  LUTW, Russell Sturm having been living and breathing lighting for many years before w came here to this conference. Without their work, understanding the damage of kerosene, the possibility of low load LED bulbs, the needs and desires of the people, and access to innovative manufacturing, we would be back ten years still discussing what people wanted.  Instead, at this conference we are talking about what the sustainable enterprise models look like.   Modular products and financing, charging stations, solar lanterns that help kids study for school and shop owners light their products and quality control.  These are the new problems to solve.  This is not to say that an understanding of the market is a "done deal".  Just that we are now working on getting the products into the hands of people in ways that make economic sense for all stakeholders.