News Archive

"THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!" — SonLight Power Helps Missionaries in Haiti Improve More Lives Sustainably

June 29, 2012

The Mission:

Help several outreach groups in Haiti fulfill their missions more effectively by reducing costs and dependency on generator fuel.

Helping Missionaries - It's What We Do

One of the biggest challenges facing missionaries in developing parts of the world is managing outreach with non-existent or limited supplies of electric power. This challenge is especially evident in Haiti, where the overwhelming needs of orphanages, clinics, churches, and schools far exceed the capacity of public infrastructure.

SonLight Power understands the needs of missionaries - using solar power to help them do what they do better inspired Allen Rainey's vision for SonLight Power over a decade ago. In the first five months of 2012, SonLight Power helped four missionary organizations in Haiti improve sustainability while reducing dependency on expensive generator fuel.

Testimonial of Transformation

In January 2012, missionaries from Eden Garden Orphanage (EGO) hosted SonLight Power at their facilities in Montrouis, Haiti. During their visit, SonLight Power representatives Allen Rainey and Terri MacGregor directed a team that installed a 2.1-kilowatt solar power system to support EGO's substantial power requirements. At its Montrouis mission center, EGO cares for 37 orphans, operates a school for over 150 students, and administers a public clinic and faith-based services for the community.

Terri deemed this the "Trip with Little Hands." "It seemed that every time my hands were idle, a little hand would find its way into mine," said Terri. "The orphans at EGO just wanted to be touched, held, and hugged whenever they could. They were truly a delight. They even put my hair into cornrows while we were relaxing after church - it's moments like these that make all the sunburns and crawling under solar panels worthwhile."

Sometimes, testimonials from our mission partners say it all. The solar project's profound impact is best described by the trip blog of David Wooster, EGO board chairman and executive director.

The following excerpt was posted January 20th, 2012 on the EGO website recounting events from January 15th:

Each month, we [at Eden Garden Orphanage] spend between $350 - $500 dollars on fuel for the generator [, or $4,200 - $6,000 per year]. Power is something that our team in Haiti has learned not to count on when we make trips. We know that we will have to structure our work around when the generator runs, so we can charge our batteries for drills, etc. This trip was no different in that respect until Sunday - the day that everything changed.

Most mornings, when we arrive at Eden Garden, we hear the familiar sound of the generator screaming in the background as the ladies in the kitchen use the blender or other appliances to prepare lunch for our kids.

Our team arrived early in the morning on Sunday, knowing it was our last full day to get our projects completed before heading home on Monday. We arrived to silence... all that was heard were the sounds of our kids running and playing together as they enjoyed their day. Breakfast was being prepared without the sound of the generator.

It was then that it hit me - the solar panels [installed with help from our partners at SonLight Power] had now been connected to dual 3500-watt inverters and WE WERE PUMPING AMPS!!! All I could think of when I watched the energy in our batteries climbing was... THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!

Now, our students and teachers can teach and learn in comfort.

Now, our kitchen staff can better plan their meals, keep food longer and fresher as they will have power for the fridge and kitchen tools that they need.

Now, Jean Claude and his wife (who left their home to come live in the dorm at the orphanage) can at least have a rotating fan blowing on them as they sleep in the miserable heat.

Now, all our kids can have ceiling fans running in their rooms tonight.

We now will be able to use the critical security lights that can stay on all night to help keep our kids safe.

Why? Because the SON provides us with the SUN in Haiti.

There are many things this country is lacking, but sunshine is certainly not one of them. This solar project (made possible by the fund-raising from the New Hope Adventist Church's S.O.S. Missions Team [Fulton, MD]) has changed everything! I [later] asked how many times [EGO staff] have had to run the generator since our departure on the 16th and [the answer was] ZERO!!!

This funding, this talented installation team, this SON and HIS SUN has changed everything! For that we are more thankful than words can express.

NOW it is on to planning for things like a computer network and distance learning and many other things that reliable, affordable power now makes available. Thank you to all of you who have contributed to this LIFE-CHANGING project!

Back for More

Allen and Terri returned to Haiti three months later on a trip that spanned three weeks from April to May 2012. They were joined by SonLight Power mission trip veteran John Foster, a NABCEP Certified PV Installer™ who has provided high-level solar consulting expertise for SonLight Power since 2010. John Brown of the Hope for Haiti Foundation completed the foursome - he plans to move to Haiti soon and will serve as SonLight Power's in-country point of contact for future projects. This is exciting news, as John Brown's presence in Haiti will enhance continuity and sustainability of our mission work in that country.

One of the unique qualities of SonLight Power is that our mission complements so many other forms of outreach. Missionaries and non-profits specializing in medical relief, evangelism, educational development, economic development, disaster recovery, and housing need sustainable power. Therefore, investment in SonLight Power and our programs invariably produces a multiplier effect on our mission partners, expanding impact beyond our own ministry.

The April-May Haiti trip featured such collaborative impact with three missionary partners, plus follow-up visits with several others in different parts of the country.

Haiti Health Ministries and Touch Global - Gressier

Starting in the town of Gressier, the SonLight Power team assisted Haiti Health Ministries (HHM) by completing a complex, three-phase, 2.8-kilowatt solar project that meets HHM's need for 24x7 electrical power. This solar power system now supports a large medical clinic which receives hundreds of Haitian patients daily and a residence that accommodates HHM staff and visiting missionaries.

While in Gressier, the SonLight Power team lodged down the street from HHM at the mission complex for Touch Global - the crisis response ministry of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA). The Touch Global facility is an important asset to the community. It provides housing for visiting mission teams from various countries and organizations, which enables them to accomplish a multitude of projects benefiting the Haitian population in Grassier. In addition to providing hospitality, Touch Global personnel work on water purification projects throughout Haiti.

Touch Global staff had planned an upgrade to their own solar power system, which first required extensive work on the wiring infrastructure. The inconsistent local Haitian power connection, damaged earlier due to a dump truck backing into a nearby electrical line, had impacted the performance of the house wiring.

The SonLight Power team fixed the wiring problems and installed three more solar panels, an Outback 3600-watt sine wave inverter, and a surge suppressor. These system upgrades were efficiently and safely integrated with the existing solar equipment, helping Touch Global steward resources effectively by maximizing previous solar power investments.

Adversity can manifest itself in many forms in the mission field. While improving the Touch Global and HHM systems, the SonLight Power team encountered a different trial. An all-day downpour caused flooding in the Touch Global bunkhouse where the men stayed. There was little permanent damage to belongings and equipment, but the resulting dampness caused respiratory problems for Allen.

Eden Garden Orphanage and House of Bread - Montrouis

After a week of collaboration and improvements in Gressier, John Foster and John Brown returned home to the U.S. while Terri and Allen returned to Montrouis, the site of their January 2012 Haiti trip. SonLight Power seeks to develop long-term relationships with mission partners and follow-up on project performance is an important part of fostering those relationships. While in Montrouis, Terri and Allen revisited two SonLight Power mission partners, EGO and House of Bread Christian Mission, for quality assurance checks and equipment upgrades on previously-installed solar power systems.

El Shaddai Ministries International - Jeremie

The final week of the trip started with an in-country flight to Jeremie for work at El Shaddai Ministries International (ESMI). ESMI runs an evangelical church-planting mission throughout Haiti. Terri and Allen, along with an ESMI crew including Craig Kindell, Justin Adames and Gary Threewits, repaired and upgraded the solar power system at the home of ESMI mission directors by installing racking and over-current protection.

Afterward, the team installed a larger system of over 3kW that will enable ESMI staff to expand their impact in Haiti. Designed for scalability and flexibility, this system will complement ESMI's plans to build a university/seminary to train Haitian pastors for ministry. With a newly constructed university power shed as a base, the team ran electrical wires from the shed to supply power for a nearby church, cafeteria, and secondary school.

Immediate collaborative impact was evident during the weekly movie night hosted at ESMI's church. For the first time, visitors could watch the feature film in peace and quiet - use of the on-site generator was no longer necessary, silencing its intrusive roars.

ESMI mission directors, Dony and Sharon St. Germain, shared their gratitude in a May 9, 2012 e-mail to SonLight Power:

We just want to say many, many thanks again for all you did this past week. We truly appreciate all you did in correcting the problem we had with our own solar, and the immense work in installing the solar system at the university campus. You worked tirelessly and with joy.

Hope that you will all have safe travels to your respective homes and please express appreciation to your family for allowing you to minister with us here in Jeremie.

May God continue to richly bless all you do for His glory in your home community and beyond.

Amen.

For more information and on-site photos of these and other sustainable SonLight Power projects, visit and 'Like' the SonLight Power fans page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SonLightPowerFans

Does your organization need sustainable power to impact more lives? E-mail [email protected] and let us know how we can help.

For a full version of the January 20, 2012 entry of the Eden Garden Orphanage Trip Log, including photos, visit: http://edengardenhaiti.org/blogs/sunday-jan-15-2012-difference-sun-makes