Solar Industry Helping Save Lives in Haiti

Solar panels being installed on a medical center in Il de la Tortue, Haiti. Photo courtesy of oaklandnorth.net.

Today marks eight months to the day that the earthquake hit in Haiti. While millions of dollars have been donated for relief efforts, the government has been slow to distribute needed help.

Partners in Health (PIH), a nonprofit medical and social services organization, says that in Haiti today, “More than a million people are still living under tents, tarps, and makeshift shelters in crowded encampments, with limited access to food, water, sanitation, schools, jobs, and social services. Many people are still in pain, hungry, and desperate.”

To help the relief efforts - at least from a medical perspective - Solar World has awarded The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) an in-kind grant of solar panels totaling 100 kilowatts to support the solar electrification of five health clinics for PIH in Haiti.

An in-kind grant is when a company or foundation donates goods or services, rather than giving money. The donated solar panels will be installed in the clinics located in the remote mountain highlands of Haiti that don’t have access to the electric grid.

The need for a new supplemental fuel supply came because after the earthquake last January that destroyed so much of Port-au-Prince, the mountain facilities experienced a rise in demand for healthcare services. The clinics have been unable to provide a continual full range of healthcare services because of generators being operated on inconsistent fuel supplies.

“A doctor can’t work without electricity and energy. You need diagnostic capacity. You need light to examine a patient. You really do need electricity to do the kind of work we’re doing,” said Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of PHI.

“That brings us to solar power. Given that you can’t do modern medicine without power and that modern medicine is able to save lives, we need a safe and environmentally friendly (fuel) alternative. That‘s why we feel that we‘ve found an ideal partner in SELF,” added Dr. Farmer. SELF is a nonprofit organization that works to bring solar power and wireless Internet access to remote rural villages in developing countries around the world.

Talking about support in Haiti, Richard LaRue, SELF’s development director said, “Solar World’s gift (through its Solar2World program) is a huge reason why we are able to fulfill our Rebuilding Haiti plans.

“In addition to securing reliable care, think of what 100 kW of solar power will mean for PIH’s energy budget for years to come. Just 10kW installed at one clinic last summer dropped PIH’s fuel consumption by seven barrels a month.”

Kevin Kilkelly commented on the grant, saying, “We’re happy to have such great partners on the ground to implement our contribution, and we hope to set a positive example. This is the time for our industry to step up and help Haiti build back better.”

The Solar2World program makes contributions to regional development projects around the world in impoverished communities. The program’s grants have also supported a number of relief efforts in the African continent, including:

• A water pumping project in South Africa.
• A computer training center in Uganda.
• A hospital in Eastern Congo.
• A vocational training center in Rwanda.
• An HIV/AIDS orphanage in Malawi.

Reader comments and input are always welcomed!