ATLANTA - East Africans who have come to the United States and settled here are often encouraged to invest in their home countries and stimulate the East African Community’s economic development, but given the distances involved and the immediate demands of their studies and careers the commitment may seem too demanding.

The First East Africa Energy Conference 2009, held in Tanzania’s capital, Dar es Salaam, in June, however, underscored the many opportunities for the development of sustainable, renewable energy systems that, although small in scale, can have an important impact on communities, especially in rural areas that still primarily depend on wood fuel, charcoal and kerosene.

The theme is to be echoed at a two-day conference to be held at Kennesaw State University Aug. 20-22, which is to be attended by senior Kenyan, Ugandan, Rwandan and Tanzanian government officials and business representatives.

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