The recently concluded Project 1808 annual festival, which took place in Kabala, Sierra Leone,provided a significant platform for MEER to showcase its innovative projects and engage inmeaningful collaborations. The team's participation in the event included the demonstration ofpractical and effective innovations such as a solar concentrator, water heater, rice cooker, andtea maker. The positive reactions from the audience further amplified MEER's accomplishmentswith these devices.
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MEER's Freetown team and Dr. Ye Tao arrived on the second day of a three-day event held inKabala, Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, they arrived late and were unable to conduct any sessionswith the students that day. However, the team was given the chance to introduce themselvesand the various projects they have worked on during a brief presentation, which waswell-received by the audience. They were excited about the team's demonstration the followingday.
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On the third day of the festival, January 14, 2024, the MEER team set up at the Engineering andInnovation station. They showcased various devices such as the Water Heater, Rice Cooker,and Tea Maker, coupled with the Solar Concentrator, to prepare pepper sauce, white rice, andboiled tea. This was done to demonstrate the efficiency of MEER's devices, which promoteclean and sustainable energy.
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To illustrate the effectiveness of MEER's ultracool mirror roof, the team displayed a range ofroofing materials, including painted white roofs, rusty roofs, and planar zinc sheets. During eachof the four sessions, they demonstrated their devices to groups of 10-15 students at a time. Thestation also received visits from festival participants such as Dr. Amy Scrima from LakeMichigan College and observers from the University of Sierra Leone like Dr. Vandy and Rtd.Brigadier General Dr. Friday Sahr.

The positive response from the attendees demonstrated the potential impact these projects canhave nationally and globally. The audience was impressed by the simplicity and efficiency of thedevices, which could have a significant impact on promoting clean and sustainable energy.
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After the festival ended, Dr. Ye Tao and the MEER team received a tour of the KoinaduguCollege property from the director of Project 1808 INC. The purpose of the visit was to evaluatethe potential of the site for future joint initiatives between MEER and Project 1808 INC. Dr. N'Jaiexpressed his desire to preserve the forest as much as possible during further construction andto adopt green practices by utilizing solar energy. Additionally, he plans to allocate a significantamount of agricultural land on the property for students to conduct hands-on experiments.
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