Mayan Power and Light

Thanks to your generous donations in 2019, Mayan Power and Light is taking off to a whole new level.  Check out our attached 2019 Annual Report for details on how we strengthened our organization, our programs, and our community partnerships.

This January, MPL installed solar power on two schools for at-risk kids in Guatemala.

On January 4th, solar volunteers worked with The Street School Staff and Mayan Power and Light solar technicians to install 600 watts of solar power on The Street School's Children's Home, where 22 at-risk or orphaned children are supported by social workers and psychologists to go to school and get back on track.  With over 8 power outages per month, children and staff members were left in the dark - unable to do homework and staff members struggling to keep everyone safe.  Emergency back-up solar lighting maintains children's security and safety, keeping the space bright and stable as a Children's Home should be. 

By Jan 21, 2020 we installed a Solar Power Lights & Computer Lab  at Montemaria's community run Institute for Education - an impressive community effort to create secondary educational options for isolated rural children. The institute serves 75 students with 13 teachers and 1,200 associated community members. Before the project, they had 5 computers for a class size of 30 students. They ran a gasoline generator for 2 hours a day to power the 5 computers.  Now, the classrooms and administrative offices have power for lights, sound and proyectors; they have 15 computers to teach basic and advanced computer skills; and community members can charge their cellphones and lanterns at school. To top it off, the school now has 2 water filters to provide their students with clean drinking water.    The project creates new access to information and communications for more opportunity and a chance to break out of poverty.

Solar Schools are more than lighting and improved education, they are also demonstrations of how solar power and water filters work, increasing awareness of how 21st century technologies can be accessible to all income levels. Just as cellphones have become a common appliance for all income levels worldwide, solar power and water filtration are becoming essential technologies for development. First things first, people need to learn about these solutions and experience them first hand to trust the product.

Mayan Power and Light entreprenuers will provide access to these essential technologies in 2020 by meeting with community leaders and promoting the products in town markets. The solar schools lend the entreprenuers more credibility in their community as they can refer to a local demonstration project where the community is benefiting from the very solutions that can be installed in low-income households. 

See our attached Annual Report to learn more about the capacity building and program development we've achieved in 2019 to level-up our organization for more efficiency, effectiveness and sustainable impact. 

Links:

• 2019 Annual Report