When Akon’s first album came out I not only loved it for the music, but also because of the pain, kindness and goodness I saw in Akon’s soul (eyes are the window to the soul…). And I can’t think of a better way to say he proved me right than what he is currently doing: bringing electricity to millions in Africa. While this project alone proves his wonderful soul; I can’t help but also mention what sparked his idea to help bring electricity to Africa… What was his initial reason?
His Grandmother and her current living conditions sparked the idea to help her and others living in the same situations in numerous places of Africa. That touches my heart in the deepest way.
“Without electricity, you can’t even begin to develop a country, let alone your own home.” – Akon
Because George w Bush & America runs off money & greed, aka, oil, Akon initially only had a few unused solar products and he quickly learned America’s unwarranted, once more- greedy taxes attached with Solar Energy. Akons mentions policies brought in by Bush, staying truthfully:
“He (Bush) did it because his main agenda was in oil, he needed the oil to keep burning right, so anything renewable he wanted to keep away because if effected the money.”
So he turned for help elsewhere and now thanks to the help of Chinese investors, he has $1 billion to work with and contribute towards his amazing dream and project.
It’s inspiring to me to see not only someone giving back, but giving back to Africa instead of robbing from the Motherland.
With electricity, despite the obvious benefits of lights and more; it also gives African children -and adults- so many deserved possibilities and opportunities, with the use of things such as computers and Internet.
In the interview Akon reflected on his African roots, which I’ll paste below. I can’t say enough how happy this makes me… Blessings and love to you, Akon, for caring and staying grounded with your wonderful soul!
His words on Africa and link follow: CELEBRATE GOOD NEWS!!! It’s so rare, we can’t take it for granted.
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Akon also talked about his African background, mentioning how he grew up without electricity, something he now believes everyone should have access to. He grew up in Senegal, a country located on the West coast of Africa. There was neither electricity nor running water where he lived and so they had to rely on a well.
“When I came to the United States, and [saw] the projects or what they claimed to be projects, Vlad I thought they [were] living in luxury, compared to what poverty is back home…” Akon explained, noting that U.S. citizens have a lot more than other people around the world yet many take such things for granted.
The singer said that it’s his grandmother’s living condition that inspired him to start the project. He says his grandmother declined to move from her hometown in spite of his money and fame. She was living in a house without electricity.
“Every time I would come, I would try to upgrade her, but she would never take it… one day I said ma I’m not coming to visit you anymore… you have to at least let me put electricity in the house. Come to find out the grid was so far out; I don’t care how much money I had there was no way I could bring electricity to her.”
And that’s the moment it hit him that something needed to be done, not just for her grandmother, but also in other locations across Africa where people live without electricity.
“Without electricity, you can’t even begin to develop a country, let alone your own home,” he says.
Truth- A Right to Fight For... 