Association for Education and Health in Central America
Solar-powered electricity is turning on the lights in rural Ipala
How many of your neighbors lack any electricity in their house? Well it's all too common in rural Guatemala to have no lighting except candles or burning waxed sticks, and Ipala is no exception. We estimate that there were about 300 houses lacking electricity a year ago, but now that number is down to about 250! How? Well last year our friends at Cedar Ridge Community Church funded a pilot program with ACIDHER (the NGO that does most of the Ipala onsite work for them as well as AEHCA) to put in a solar collection system that could robustly power 3 light bulbs and charge a couple cell phones. No, not a modern american house, but a huge improvement for the families who had literally been in the dark!
When we asked Josseline Perez how the solar lighting system changed life for her family at first she looked at us like we were crazy, like OF COURSE LIFE IS A LOT BETTER NOW, but then went on to softly tell us: “My daughter now has light to do her homework and I don’t worry about tripping in the house. Oh if I need to come outside after dark I can see if there is anything dangerous on the porch.” We asked, dangerous? Like what? “A snake or scorpion,” she said.
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