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.

The project-team Minodu engaged a curious audience at the Re:publica 24 Maker Space in a workshop called “Building Bridges: Soldering for Climate Change Awareness”. Through a hands-on approach with DIY electronics, LEDs were soldered on a custom circuit board. Participants learned about the regions of Togo (West Africa), the multi-faceted impacts of climate change, all while experiencing Do-it-yourself technologies. The interactive format was highly appreciated in the maker community and beyond. Tinkering seems like a good means to open up discussions on complex challenges and integrate technology and digital tools in the work towards sustainable land management.

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.