by Lacey Gaechter, Assistant National Director
Thanks to the talents of our solar heater trainees, 68 households on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe will enjoy clean, free heat this winter, and for many more to come.
For the first time ever, Trees, Water & People hosted a Solar Heater Training conducted by two of our former students. Leo White Bear, a Shoshone Bannock from Fort Hall, Idaho, and Landon Means, a Northern Cheyenne Sioux from Montana both travelled to the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota to train five new crew members.
Leo and Landon spent 10 days in Eagle Butte, SD training the new recruits to install solar air heaters owned by their tribe. Subsequently, we received many positive survey results from our trainees, one of whom said that their trainers were, “very thorough and helpful and patient and most of all fun to work with.” Way to go Leo and Landon!
The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is now paying their trainees to install their solar air heating systems.Thanks to our trainees for “paying it forward” so that dozens more families will be warm this winter!
Sustainable Development, Sustainable Livelihoods 