StraightUp Solar lights Miskito villages in Nicaragua
What would you do with a few extra hours in your day? In the first week of March two Wings of Hope volunteers gave Nicaraguan families the chance to find out by giving the gift of light, through solar electrification. The volunteers were part of an innovative new partnership with local solar company StraightUp Solar to electrify villages in remote eastern Nicaragua. They raised $4,500 and sent two employees, Josh Hill and Matt Reuscher, to three villages in Eastern Nicaragua, impacting about 150 people.
The most meaningful interactions of the trip were with the families themselves. “Just seeing the gratitude and appreciation from the families when we finished the solar install and we could flip the switch and see the lights turn on was amazing,” said Hill. “That was by far the best part, knowing that we were bringing something to them that they couldn’t afford on their own and would be a significant change for them.”
Solar panels provide several extra hours of work, play or study time for these families, without the indoor air pollution and burns common from using kerosene lamps. They are also key for medical emergencies – for instance, being able to see can mean life and death during a difficult middle-of the night birth. For more information on how you can support solar electrification in Nicaragua, contact Laura Helling at 636-537-1302.