Building Bridges: Soldering for Climate Change Awareness

With the increasing effects of climate change, those in the “Global South” have contributed the least, but are suffering the most from it. This hands-on workshop aims to educate, inform, and raise awareness using the example of the West African country of Togo. We solder LEDs onto a custom-made circuit board in the shape of the country, a narrow strip of land bridging different climatic zones from the Atlantic Ocean to the Savannah in the north. In this hands-on way, we learn about its diverse regions while also providing a basic introduction to DIY electronics.

The workshop is situated in the scope of the Minodu project (FKZ 01LL2202A), which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the funding line "Sustainable land management in sub-Saharan Africa: Improving livelihoods through local research".

Our project aims to bridge the communication gap between local subsistence farmers in the northern region of Kara in Togo and the scientific community to face challenges resulting from climate change. We intend to create networks, merging local and ancient knowledge and languages with digital technologies through a DIY approach.