tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46952111955979357282011-11-21T12:24:51.303-06:00Heart and Solar is the blog of Photojournalist Linda Cullen. Linda is also the Executive Director and founder of Fifty Lanterns International. 50L provides solar lighting to those most in need in area's of war and conflict, and natural disasters around the world.Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.comBlogger161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-74250289247600909492011-11-21T12:21:00.001-06:002011-11-21T12:24:51.321-06:00

I just checked in with the old blogspot. Yikes! Could it really have been over a year since I've been on here? Lots has happened with 50 Lanterns and to me personally. Two distribution in Haiti, training in Nicaragua and a nasty bout of Lyme's disease to name a few. I will do my best to get this blog up to speed and make regular updates in the coming year. Yeah, yeah, promises, promises.

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-32773268697100272602009-12-10T09:22:00.002-06:002009-12-10T09:34:27.685-06:00

I'm embarrassed that so much time has gone since my last post on Heart and Solar, where did the time go? Just returned from our "lucky 13th" distribution in Tanzania where once again we partnered with Image Project. We were able to bring in 110 lights and distributed them to Image projects sponsored girls in at Image school (pronounced- Im-ah-Gee). We also continued our distribution to women and

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-60942538654715958252009-04-28T08:41:00.002-05:002009-04-28T09:01:50.788-05:00

Dear Friends,Wow, finally got the chance to take a breath and get a email out about our new "honor" cards for mother's day. The cards are beautiful, our artist Patrick North did a great job on the design. You can check the cards out on the "buy" page of our newly redesigned website, also designed by Patrick.I'm evaluating several upcoming solar distributions. The requests for light always out

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-21648026185752718522009-04-21T10:19:00.002-05:002009-04-21T10:32:30.996-05:00

Happy Earth week everyone !I'm happy to report that since the last posting we've completed another project in Honduras.Partnering with International Health Services we distributed 150 of our solar bogo lights,to midwives, women headed families and others in need.  I was on honored to be with a great group of friends working out of Marcovia in Southern Honduras near the Pacific coast. We did

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-89391831417628624162009-02-08T06:21:00.005-06:002009-04-21T10:17:05.014-05:00

We did it..wasn't easy, but we did it.Phase one of lighting the hospital in Nyabiheki refugee camp, 28 rooms, 36 lights with solar energy is completed. Along with the installation we trained ARC and refugee staff on the maintenance and up keep of the system. I've been visiting Nyabiheki for the last three years, along with it's sister camps, Gihembe, and Kiziba since 2001. ARC does a great job

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-82787305992001972882009-01-06T16:42:00.004-06:002009-04-27T10:34:42.246-05:00

Greeting from MN, Counting down the days before I head back to Rwanda to finish the lighting installation in Nybeheki refugee camp. We're looking forward to completing this project and bring much needed light to the medical staff and patients. As I start to think about packing (I'm a pretty good packer, carry on only) there is one item I won't leave home without so I thought I should share it

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-84611232341397101962008-12-18T14:36:00.007-06:002009-04-27T10:40:43.843-05:00

Hi everyone,Africa is always a challenge and this time was no different. But I'm happy to report that my time in Tanzania and Rwanda was very successful. I started out with a group from the Image Project. The Image Project empowers Maasai girls and women in small villages in central Tanzania. The women of Kwale village use the one room school at night and without electricity it was difficult for

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-44139789328790756522008-11-06T08:09:00.005-06:002009-04-27T10:42:30.952-05:00

Hi everyone,It's been a while since I've posted, sorry I've been out of touch for so long.It was a wonderful, but busy summer.First Kelly and I took the plunge...literally. We had a beautiful ceremony at one of our favorite places, our friend Carrie's cabin on the shores of Ann Lake in Mora, Minnesota with a few close friends and family in attendance to bless us. So now it's time to get back to

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-30894732552107886172008-06-18T11:09:00.001-05:002008-12-10T12:19:33.144-06:00

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-65211404231456248382008-06-18T10:54:00.003-05:002008-06-18T11:08:47.974-05:00

Hi Everyone,I'm fresh back from India. Ok back, but not all that fresh. I seemed to have brought back a little intestinal bug with me. Not the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last either, it's job hazard. Oh well, this to shall pass.I partnered with Hope Foundation on this project and Sharon and Emmanuel Masa. They took great care of me, not only welcomed me into their home but into their

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-40619632022748365612008-05-22T08:52:00.001-05:002008-12-10T12:19:33.338-06:00

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-80937952627157380672008-05-22T08:05:00.002-05:002008-05-22T08:50:18.248-05:00

A while back I received a email from Emmanuel and Sharon Masa. In their email they told me about the programs they are running in rural India supporting orphans, widows and the poor. They wanted me know about the conditions in these small villages and how our solar lanterns would make a huge difference in the lives of those most in need. Then they started to send me pictures. Photos of the 24

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-26123604989239173852008-04-08T09:57:00.005-05:002008-12-10T12:19:33.585-06:00

This morning I woke up, made coffee, (Rwandan, of course) checked my email and Blackberry, then I went to Iraq. Now before my father and children start calling let me explain. A good friend of mine Karen Pavlicin, is the keynote speaker at an upcoming event and she is in the middle of putting together a presentation. She asked to use some of my photos. So this morning I went back to Iraq. It

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-13925406332212464212008-03-30T11:15:00.003-05:002008-03-30T12:16:59.823-05:00

The emails have been flying back and forth between St. Paul, Kigali and India.Terry, our kind-hearted Dir. of International Solar installations (I can't pay him but I can give him a well deserved title) has been pulling his hair out waiting for a site assessment to come in from Kigali. We're getting ready to leave soon for Rwanda to light a medical clinic inside a refugee camp with solar lighting

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-61044431886648885382008-03-22T13:04:00.003-05:002008-03-27T22:26:00.748-05:00

Good Friday turned out to be a GREAT Friday.I had the good fortune to speak once again at Best Buy's Corporate office in Bloomington, MN. The audience was wonderful, everyone was very interested and engaged. They had many wonderful comments and questions about the work we're doing with Fifty Lanterns. The highlight for me was to be honored for National Women's Month by Julie Gilbert, founder and

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695211195597935728.post-13454048911991991412008-03-09T14:59:00.011-05:002008-03-11T14:35:31.393-05:00

Dear Friends,What a wild ride the past few years have been.My life has been blessed with the opportunity to travel the world with my photojournalism work and visit places so few get the chance to see. Not to mention being able to bring much needed solar light to those most in need around the world thanks to the generosity of our Fifty Lanterns donors. Most recently I had the chance to spend two

Linda Cullen Weileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11029735886624167022noreply@blogger.com0