
Gazan startups get 6 hours of electricity per day. Raise money to change that - dopeboy
http://powerupgazageeks.com/
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dopeboy
Hey all - I went to Gaza's first hackathon and it was put on by this
organization, Gaza Sky Geeks. I wrote about it to some fanfare on HN [0].

Even with uneven amounts of electricity, I saw Gazan entrepreneurs come in and
work hard. They're an amazing group of people and would love any kind of help
we can send.

[0] -
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11858963](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11858963)

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minimaxir
This submission has the most egregious abuse of HN vote manipulation I've seen
in awhile: [http://i.imgur.com/93nnYXh.png](http://i.imgur.com/93nnYXh.png)

~~~
dang
Yeah, that's bad. On the other hand, well-intentioned voting rings due to lack
of familiarity with how HN operates (which seems to be the case here) are
forgivable if people email us at hn@ycombinator.com and promise not to do it
again. It's the more insidious types of vote manipulation that are most
worrisome, and I don't see that here, just overenthusiasm and a case of
noobness.

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Mohmmadhalimy
Hey all - My name is Mohammad Halimy I have a startup that is incubated in
Gaza Sky Geeks and they really helped us take our business to the next level.
They are great ! help them and hit donate

~~~
jtfairbank
Can US entrepreneurs go live in Gaza for a year to help mentor people in the
local scene? Is that possible, and helpful?

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ibraghada
Gaza Sky Geeks is the haven of gaza's most creative, resilient entrepreneurs
and what it gives and offers slams the door in the face of adversities that
life in Gaza brings in these promising people's way on a daily basis and opens
instead many other doors for opportunities and abilities. Your support serves
a noble cause!

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jbermudez5
I was fortunate enough to get a chance and visit Gaza Sky Geeks as a mentor
last year and it is an amazing program. The staff and entrepreneurs work very
hard and are very loving people.

This is a great cause that has a direct impact on those living in a place
where it is difficult to get what most of us give for granted.

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anovikov
Why don't they use renewable energy? Especially given that solar panels are
now dirt cheap, they can do most of the installation work themselves (i bet
regulatory red tape in Gaza isn't hard LOL!), and they are in the very sunny
climate.

$13000 worth of fuel is probably 20K liters in their prices. That is about
700GJ - something you can produce in that climate, given 20% genset
efficiency, with about 21KWp of solar panels which will not cost a lot and
will fit on their roof. At least it will provide reliable power for laptops
throught the day, and for air conditioning except morning and evening times.
Maybe worth moving panel orientation so that face more westward so to increase
production during evenings when you need more air conditioning than mornings.

~~~
imontauk
"I bet regulatory red tape in Gaza isn't hard" >> You realize that the borders
are entirely closed and that hardware can only be brought in with the Israeli
army's approval, right? I know a startup founder in Gaza who had to wait 8
months for an Arduino. Nowadays Gaza Sky Geeks brings small equipment to Gaza
for founders, but solar panels are a whole other story.

Here's the FAQ from the campaign page:

Why aren't you fundraising for solar panels?

We care deeply about the environment and wish we could use solar panels! We
hope solar energy is in Gaza Sky Geeks’ future. In the short term, a generator
and fuel are the best option for us because:

Import restrictions make solar an unreliable option: Items brought in and out
of Gaza are subject to restrictions. As a result, panels and maintenance parts
may not always be available. Also, solar panels only recently became available
in Gaza, which means that maintenance/expertise in solar technology is still
nascent.

The building we rent cannot accommodate solar: We rent our space and do not
have rights to the roof of our building. Even if we did, our building’s roof
is covered in water heaters and does not have enough space for the number of
solar panels we would need to power a space of our size. Power consistency and
ability to meet peak demand is critical when we are running a professional
space and charging other companies rent. Due to import restrictions and lack
of roof space, we cannot yet guarantee uptime with solar the way we can with a
generator.

Solar would cost much more: Through an agreement we have with the United
Nations, we receive fuel at a 65% discount to market prices, making it
significantly cheaper than solar. In addition, solar is a high up-front
investment ($20-30k at a minimum).

\--

NOTE: I'm the co-founder of Gaza Sky Geeks and lived there for 2 years.

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ayounes
I went to Gaza as a mentor in the first hackathon hosted there. I was
impressed with the talent and drive by the participants despite the challenges
Gazans face with regards to water and power to name a few.

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mmusa
I recently met with the founder of Baskalet game studio in SF and was super
impressed by their creativity and growth. If an entrepreneur can succeed in
Gaza, they can win anywhere.

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CommanderData
It's remarkable to see them push through against so many odds. I can't count
how many times I've felt the news traduce and vilify these people, and
shamefully I'm guilty of harboring prejudiced.

Seeing similar stories like this makes me want to change all that and I hope I
can help somehow.

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vikramraja
Providing power is literally enabling hustle in one of the most difficult
entrepreneurial climates in the world.

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samuel107
Met some founders from Gaza earlier this year in SF. Super inspiring work
they're doing.

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slmago
Supporting Gaza's geeks from UAE. Great work!

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nafizh
Their resilience is amazing!!

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allisonleila
great cause!

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rola
Great job!

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boazkantor
Good luck, guys!

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daliashurrab
Support Gazan entrepreneurs

