By Anasthascia Boateng, McKinney Climate Fellow
Growing up in Obuasi, a mining town in Ghana’s Ashanti Region, “lights out” was more than an occasional inconvenience; it was a way of life. Power outages were so common that I learned to do my school assignments by the flickering glow of candles and kerosene lanterns. Studying during these hours was exhausting. The dim light strained my eyes, and the disruption sapped my motivation to learn. The problem extended beyond my home. In Ghana, public libraries are often located at schools or central community institutions, and in my case, the nearest library was far from my neighborhood. Even if I could get there during an outage, it would not have helped, as the library itself would be without power. Those moments taught me the deep connection between energy access and educational opportunity, though at the time, I could only dream of solutions.
This summer, that dream came full circle. As a McKinney Climate Fellow with Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI) and in partnership with Groundswell, I spent my fellowship focused on resilience hubs, community-centered facilities equipped to support residents during disruptions, including power outages. Many of these hubs will be powered by solar panels, ensuring continuous access to electricity. I could not help but think: if such a hub had existed in my childhood, how much brighter literally and figuratively those nights of study could have been.
Before this summer, I had only read about organizations doing grassroots work in communities with fewer resources. When I first learned about Groundswell, a nonprofit dedicated to building community power through solar projects and resilience hubs, I was impressed by the way they integrate accessibility, environmental responsibility, and local engagement. Throughout the fellowship, I participated in more than seven workshops and meetings with Groundswell staff. One that left a lasting impression was “Community Resilience,” led by John Roberts Jr. Roberts shared his childhood memories of growing up in a community where power outages were a frequent reality. His connection to the work brought authenticity and urgency to the discussion.
He explained the role of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and how Groundswell partners with local communities to address challenges, design practical solutions, and implement projects that will have a lasting impact. Most importantly, Roberts emphasized that none of this is possible without the people it is meant to serve.
“We cannot do anything without community,” he reminded us.
This statement became a guiding principle for me throughout the summer. It was reinforced during our in-person meetings with Groundswell partners and with the First United Church, whose members serve as council representatives for one of the planned resilience hubs. As an anthropologist deeply committed to community-based research, I was inspired to see how community engagement is not just a step in Groundswell’s process, but rather it is the foundation. A resilience hub is not simply a building with solar panels; it is a gathering place, a source of connection, and a symbol of collective care. Through ERI’s and Groundswell’s mentorship this summer, I learned how community engagement shapes every stage of resilience hub development, from identifying local needs to designing services and programs that align with those needs.
This experience has also reshaped how I think about community collaboration in the United States. Coming from Ghana, I was raised with the philosophy of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.” In many African communities, people share burdens and joys alike, recognizing that individual well-being is tied to the collective. Before my fellowship, I had absorbed the common perception of the U.S. as highly individualistic. However, working with ERI has shown me a different side: institutions that deliberately seek out diverse voices, allocate resources to the communities where they are needed, and collaborate with experts to ensure projects succeed. The collaborative spirit I witnessed this summer echoes the same communal values I grew up with in Ghana.
What makes this fellowship experience most fulfilling is that it keeps human and community well-being at the center of the work. While the resilience hubs will provide reliable power during outages, their value extends far beyond that. They will be spaces where residents can gather during extreme weather, charge medical devices, store essential supplies, and connect in times of crisis. For me, the technical aspects of solar energy and energy efficiency are important, but what inspires me most is how this work addresses people’s everyday realities. It bridges the gap between sustainability goals and lived experiences, something I wish had been possible for my community in my childhood days.
As I look back on my summer with ERI and Groundswell, I see it as both a professional milestone and a profoundly personal journey. It has allowed me to connect my own story of growing up in a place with limited energy access to a project that is making tangible changes in Indiana. It has also given me new tools, perspectives, and networks to continue my work as a researcher and advocate for sustainable, equitable solutions both in the U.S. and in Ghana. The McKinney Climate Fellowship is designed to prepare the next generation of climate leaders, and my time with ERI and Groundswell has done just that. Nevertheless, more than anything, it has reminded me that the fight for resilience is, at its heart, about people, our shared challenges, our collective solutions, and the belief that no one should be left in the dark.