Trustee James Otieno — Engaging Minds, Improving Lives in South Sudan

James Otieno, Chair of the PAU Board of Trustees, has founded the Karibu Rafiki Foundation which will build schools in Kenya and Sudan. Karibu Rafiki means "welcome friend" in Swahili. James is a founding member and lead director of the board of PV Tech, a private energy firm. In July 2013 James attended a PV Tech signing cere- mony in South Sudan, a relatively impoverished newly created country in Africa in July 2013. PV Tech and the Republic of South Sudan's Central Equatorial State signed an historic agreement to increase the electrical capaci- ty of Juba, the capital of South Sudan, via a 20MW hybrid power plant. In a country where most on-grid and off- grid electricity is provided by diesel generators, this new capacity will be a more stable and cheaper alternative, enabling rapid growth and economic development of the newest nation’s largest city and center of economic activity. They are wrestling with the spector of genocide if development that assists in multiple ethnic groups raise their standard of living. Resource imbalances are one of the causes of ‘scapegoating,’ which can lead to deadly consequences. We are pleased to have Mr. Otieno as Chair of our Board.