Lighting the Road Less Traveled: SonLight Power Applies Grant from College Hill Presbyterian Church Endowment Fund to Improve Lives in Honduras
July 9, 2012
The Mission:
Use solar power to share God's love with over 360 children and their families at four off-grid schools in rural Honduras, empowering them with lighted classrooms and multimedia tools for learning.
Opportunity Honduras - The 400:
The Honduran government has identified some 400 schools without access to electricity throughout the Central American country. In collaboration with
"[The welcome we received was] very heart warming and humbling. We doubted that the children had ever seen that many Americans entering their school grounds"
- George Bingley, SonLight Power team member
Enabled by a grant from the College Hill Presbyterian Church (CHPC) Endowment Fund, SonLight Power installed solar power at four more Honduran schools in June 2012.
Stewardship in Action:
The SonLight Power mission team initially intended to visit just three schools during the trip. Fortunately, CHPC funding allowed the team to increase the number of schools impacted. This increase was significant beyond the additional lives impacted - it represented effective stewardship as well. To serve four communities on a trip originally designated for three decreases SonLight Power's cost of impact. In other words, fixed costs such as airfare and lodging for mission trip volunteers are optimized when SonLight Power can install more solar power systems on the same trip, increasing efficiency in the use of funds.
The Road Less Traveled:
SonLight Power is familiar with overcoming adversity during mission trips to remote territories - this trip was no exception. The SonLight Power mission team traveled to the Honduran state/department of El Paraíso on June 24th with plans to settle in the municipality of Trojes as a base for the week-long mission trip. Treacherous road conditions in the area thwarted SonLight Power's logistical plans from the start. After consultation with local officials and Brenda Tejada, Honduran Coordinator assigned to SonLight Power from the 
Healthy Schools Program, the team decided to spend the night at the Luis Bográn primary school in the village of Placere on June 25th and travel to the second primary school in the town of Barcelona the following morning due to massive ruts in the local roads. This decision proved wise as traversing those roads more than once would have put the entire trip in jeopardy. The community members at Placere provided enough mattresses for the team and fixed two large meals - evidence of the sweat equity that SonLight Power's impacted villages invest to complement our mission work.
The decision proved wise for another reason - a monsoon rain storm hit Placere just as the students were ending their children's ministry program with the SonLight Power team, which meant the team would have been stranded in Placere regardless because of the storm. The trip by truck from Placere to José Trinidad Reyes School in Barcelona took more than two hours the next morning. Combined with three hours of backtracking from Trojes, five hours of travel one-way on those roads would have threatened the week's schedule.
Overall, the road conditions and travel times were among the most adverse SonLight Power has ever encountered. With God's abundant grace, these obstacles did not keep the team from using solar power to share God's love and Light with the children we intended to serve. In addition to the 75 students at Luis Bográn School and 122 students in Barcelona, 62 students at Francisco Morazán School in the village of Progreso Capire and 103 students at CEB Ramón Rosa School in Sacateras all enjoyed children's ministry activities organized by SonLight Power while solar power systems were installed at their respective schools.
In total, the lives of more than 360 students - not including children from each community not enrolled at each school who will eventually benefit from solar power installed - have been and will continue to be transformed by the sustainable power of the Son and the sun. All four schools visited during the week now have clean, renewable electric power for light and multimedia instruction via TV/DVD assemblies provided by SonLight Power. Other electrical applications such as cell phone charging and ventilation fans can be provided easily. The solar equipment should last 30 or more years.
Without critical financial support from the CHPC Endowment Fund, it is likely the teachers, community members, and 122 children at José Trinidad Reyes School in Barcelona would not have electricity today. And from a stewardship perspective, the grant means SonLight Power does not have to send an entire project team to the same region and traverse the same roads just to install one solar power system on a future trip.
A Mission Tripper's Perspective:
The following is a testimony from George Bingley, SonLight Power mission volunteer from Kankakee, IL, excerpted from a report he made to his church after the trip:
RECEPTION AT THE FIRST SCHOOL
We managed to arrive with everyone and all equipment intact. As we entered the school compound under a Bienvenido arch, we were greeted with elation, banners, balloons with all the children lined up - the girls on one side and the boys on the other. They were immaculately dressed in their school uniforms; usually both U.S. and Honduran flags were carried by the children. The mission team procession to the school buildings was led by Allen Rainey with some music and fanfare from adult bystanders everywhere. We were treated as royalty - very heart warming and humbling. We doubted that the children had ever seen that many Americans entering their school grounds - they were in awe.
TURNING ON THE LIGHT
The work was divided-up for several teams - setting the post, assembling the solar panels, installing the control system and installing the wiring for two light bulbs in each classroom. Community members volunteered to “Dig the Hole, Raise the Pole” and to mix the concrete. This gave them involvement and ownership in the project.
After the solar panels were assembled and installed on the pole, we had a pole-raising ceremony where the men pulled on ropes to lift and place the pole into the hole followed by pouring in the concrete to make a firm foundation.
While the pole-setting activity was in progress, other team members conducted Bible stories and played games with the children. When all was complete, SonLight Power conducted a training activity for the teacher and other leaders on system operation, maintenance, and use of the TV/DVD. We were then ready for dedicating the solar system to the community and use for the children's educational benefits. The teacher selected one boy and girl who had high grades to assist in “turning on the Light.” To complete the dedication, team members gave each child some school supplies.
At each school, a celebration was held to recognize the contribution of community leaders and other officials in making the event a reality. There was definitely enthusiastic excitement in the air as the children sang and danced in beautiful, colorful costumes before a most appreciative audience. Many of the team members interacted with the children, getting 'high fives' and handshakes. I took dozens of pictures; assembling a small group of children, taking a digital photo and immediately letting them view themselves.
Upon completion of each installation, the mission team packed-up and returned to the motel (or stayed at the school) before moving on to the next venue. One might liken this procedure to that of a band making one-night stands. This process was generally followed for the remaining three installations. What was common among all installations was the gracious hospitality shown us and delicious meals provided by the community. A friendly atmosphere prevailed everywhere we visited, all were interested in those Gringos.
On behalf of everyone involved in this project, Thank you, CHPC Endowment Fund!
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