A solar electricity system for a parish without electric power in Haiti
Monday, July 13, 2015

Project Code: 224-01-19

Haiti is one of the most underdeveloped and politically unstable nations in the world. It is still only slowly recovering from the terrible earthquake that devastated the island in 2010. In many areas the infrastructure still has not been restored and many buildings have yet to be rebuilt, while the electricity supply is inadequate, to say the least.

In Marmelade, a small town 20 miles south of the port city of Cap-Haïtien, electricity is a rarity. While in Haiti generally electricity is something of a luxury, for the 30,000 or so inhabitants of Marmelade it is quite simply unthinkable. Living in such an extremely poor town, the people of Marmelade just about manage to make ends meet through land work and livestock rearing.

Since September 2013, Father Méhu Charles Joseph has been in charge of the Catholic parish of the Immaculate Conception in the Platon quarter of the town. Parish work is somewhat limited however, since there is no electric lighting for things like the morning Masses or evening events in the parish, as Father Méhu explains.

Father Méhu is asking ACN for help to install a solar generating system that will provide a reliable 24-hour supply of electricity. This will not only make it easier for the morning Masses and the evening activities, but will also make life considerably easier for many of the schoolchildren, who sometimes have to study after dark.

“We are very conscious of the importance and value of light,” Father Méhu writes in his request to ACN. “Not without reason, it is a synonym for life."

We are hoping to be able to help him to install solar lighting panels, with a contribution of $9,500.  Will you give to provide Father Méhu electricity for his parish activities in Haiti?

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