One Vision, Six Years and Fifty Solar Installations
June 10, 2008
SonLight Power (SLP), a non-profit organization established in 2002, will make history in mid-June when its volunteer team installs a solar electric system in the Escuela Dionisio de Herrera school located in Caserio El Caracol, Honduras. This will be the 50th installation of sustainable solar power by this Cincinnati-based ministry, whose work is making a significant and lasting impact in schools, medical facilities, churches and other remote service facilities around the globe. Founder and executive director Allen Rainey, a former operations manager and journalist turned advocate for renewable energy sources, began this work in 2001 in Honduras installing solar photovoltaic systems in two medical clinics and two churches in Intibica, also repairing two medical clinics for the government in Intibuca. The following year (2002), SLP tackled a larger project, the first of many orphanages, installing a complete photovoltaic system in Hope Children's Center in Kinangop, Kenya.
In July 2003, SLP was recruited by a Honduran teachers association to install the first of 20 systems in schools located in remote rural areas around Conception Intibuca. SLP has returned every year and completed this project in 2006.
"Many schools are unable to take advantage of educational video tapes produced by the Honduran government due to their remote rural locations and lack of electricity to power AV equipment," comments Rainey. "Many of the children we serve work in the fields during the day in order to provide what their family needs to survive, so education has to take place in the evening. Following one of the school lighting ceremonies, a father thanked us for 'taking the machete out of his daughter's hands.' She now has hope for a different life."
In July 2007, SLP's trip to Guatamala was cancelled by their hosts due to increased violence in that country. With just three days until their scheduled departure, the team made hasty preparations to travel instead to Choluteca, Honduras to complete two school installations. Prior to the SLP teams return to the United States, they were introduced to the Director of the Honduran Healthy School Program (HSP), based in the capital Tegucicalpa. The First Lady of Honduras, Mrs. Xiomara Castro De Zelaya, is heavily involved with the HSP, a charitable organization whose aim is to better the lives of children through community improvements in education, health, agriculture, and economic development.
Four Hundred Schools for HSP
SonLight Power's consistent presence and proven track record in Honduras has led to a cooperative agreement with the Healthy School Program and involvement from the First Lady. She has demonstrated her "full support for this endeavor SLP" by minimizing import taxes, facilitating the customs process and assisting with transportation and storage for SonLight Power's teams and equipment. The HSP project involves the installation of solar power in nearly 400 additional rural schools throughout Honduras.
The HSP project kicked off during the week of June 2–10 with the first of 400 schools being installed with solar electric systems. SLP returns to Honduras July 28–August 4 to work on 3 more schools accompanied by a videographer. Videos of the installation process will be used for training, education and promotion of the HSP in both the United States and Honduras. Rainey has invited the First Lady Xiomara Castro De Zelaya to visit one of the sites and appear in the video to strengthen the impact of both organizations' fundraising and promotion messages. Rainey says in order to complete the project; SLP will require 1,000 short term team volunteers and more than $1 million in equipment funding.
SLP's Impact — Then & Now
SonLight Power has installed, expanded and repaired solar power systems in orphanages, health clinics, ministry facilities and churches in Haiti, Mexico, Ethiopia, Kenya and Honduras providing a 30-year supply of electricity. In addition to the Healthy School Project in Honduras, SLP's future plans include, school systems in Guatamala, training members of a "sustainable community" in Nigeria how to use solar, developing an international disaster relief assistance program, and continuing other projects as requested.
For more information about SonLight Power, its current projects, sponsors and how to contribute to its mission through the SLP Sponsorship Program, visit their new website, www.sonlightpower.org.
SonLight Power thanks these generous supporters: Friends of SonLight at College Hill Presbyterian Church, Simmons Family Fund, St. Mary's Episcopal Anglican Church in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and individual donors.