"WOW! THIS IS COOL!" - SonLight Power Applies P&G Grant to Transform 30,000+ Lives in Mexico
September 17, 2012
The Mission:
Apply a major grant from The P&G Fund to extend SonLight Power's outreach into Mexico and make an immediate and sustained impact for an estimated 30,000+ children, youth, and families.
Message from SonLight Power Executive Director, Kevin Sasson:
Thanks to sponsorship from The P&G Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation and partnership with Save the Children Mexico, SonLight Power joined with Enlace in August 2012 to install solar power systems at five remote schools and one community center in villages where the cost of electric grid access is a deterrent to sustained use. Our collaborative impact will transform tens of thousands of children, youth, and families in Chiapas. If you haven't seen the photo albums posted by our mission team on Facebook, visit and 'Like' our SonLight Power Fans page.
Our collaboration with indigenous communities in the Mexican state of Chiapas was one of the most fulfilling SonLight Power missions I can remember. Here are some milestones from our trip:
Overcoming Adversity to Improve Lives
There were many reasons for the expedition not to succeed, but God's grace enabled our team to overcome obstacles during all phases of this trip. Before the trip even started, we confronted unexpected issues shipping solar equipment overseas.
"[The community leaders] were impressed that we would come to train them and include them as members of the installation team. While there, I couldn't wait to greet them in their communities over the course of our trip and see each of them beam with pride as they lifted the solar array that they built. I remember thinking, “Wow! This is cool!"
- Mark Blackham, SonLight Power team member
God gave us the strength and unity of spirit to rise above these unique challenges associated with doing mission work in unfamiliar territory. And to God be the glory. More than 30,000 lives will be improved over the lifetime of the solar power systems - and each morning, children will be reminded that God loves them when they turn on the lights in their classrooms.
Partnership with Enlace
Central to communicating effectively with Mexico's indigenous communities and installing solar power at six off-grid communities was the strong support we received from Enlace, our primary outreach partner in southern Mexico. We were blessed beyond words by Enlace's partnership and teamwork.
Our entry into the indigenous communities would not have been possible without the trust and relationships Enlace has patiently built with these communities over the past few decades. Going back as far as the Spanish conquest of the Americas, these are areas where outsiders have abused their relationships with the indigenous populations either through evangelism-gone-sideways or crooked commercial dealings. The result is a part of Mexico that is reluctant to welcome visitors. Since we were introduced as Enlace's partner before each project, rapport was established instantly.
Enlace's self-sustaining outreach mission complements SonLight Power's mission very well, making this trip a bold first step toward a long-term partnership. An intriguing component of Enlace's outreach model is its community-based micro-credit services, which could be extended to finance a percentage of SonLight Power projects as well - creating a sense of fiscal ownership we strive to integrate into our development model. Looking ahead, Enlace and its capable staff could serve as an extension of SonLight Power in Mexico, reducing the need and expense of building our own satellite office in that country. Enlace's leadership team is as excited by the possibilities as we are.
Other Partnerships for Sustainability
After our mission trip in Chiapas, we met with leaders in the Economic Section and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to increase awareness of SonLight Power's outreach in Mexico, similar to what we have done with great success in Honduras. Outside Mexico City, we were enthusiastically received by the head of the Technology Management department of the Mexican National University's Center for Energy Research (UNAM/CIE), with whom we discussed integrating SonLight Power solar projects with the UNAM/CIE curriculum. UNAM is one of the largest, if not the largest, university in all of Latin America.
We will work with Enlace to develop another university partnership with the Technical University of the Jungle, closer to our work in Chiapas and southern Mexico. This university already has a partnership with Enlace, and through that relationship, we could integrate their curriculum with SonLight Power projects as well. In some respects, now that we have the benefit of experience, it took three weeks to establish the relationships in Mexico that took about eight years to establish in Honduras.
Capacity-Building
For over a decade, SonLight Power has sought partnerships with those we serve to promote sustainable outcomes and empower people to help themselves. Such collaborative impact is necessary for today's non-profits to steward limited resources effectively - SonLight Power understands this concept and excels at it.
That said, perhaps the biggest breakthrough of our trip was training the local staff of Enlace how to install their own solar power systems for off-grid communities in Chiapas. On September 20, 2012, Enlace personnel trained by SonLight Power empowered the remote jungle community of Santa Rosa by leading the installation of a new system at the Santa Rosa community school. This milestone marks the first time SonLight Power has successfully trained local personnel to install their own solar power system without direct supervision. The importance of this project cannot be overstated, as it demonstrates we are truly building an outreach model where the people we serve are dependent not on us, but on each other.
Team Testimonies
We were privileged to assemble an amazing team for our trip. Mike Cochran, an architecture undergrad at the University of Southern California, brought his unique blend of good humor and construction know-how to the team. When asked what he believed to be the key moment of our trip, Mike replied:
“When we decided to delegate the final solar power installation to the Enlace staff - that was one of the best parts of the trip for me. Witnessing Enlace's eagerness and excitement to take on the challenge and apply their new skills to help their own communities was truly amazing.”
Another SonLight Power team member, Mark Blackham of Batavia, Ohio, made the following observations during our collaboration with the indigenous communities of Chiapas:
“It was an honor to interact with the community leaders. They are humble and so very grateful. They were impressed that we would come to train them and include them as members of the installation team.
While we were there, I couldn't wait to greet them in their communities over the course of our trip and see each of them beam with pride as they lifted the solar array that they built. I remember thinking, “Wow! This is cool!”
When interviewing the teachers and community leaders, they all reflected on how their communities had been previously marginalized and neglected. They were grateful to SonLight Power and Enlace for bringing hope and change. The solar power systems were tangible proof of that hope and change for their communities. They explained how the solar projects would improve their communities by transforming their schools into venues for community gatherings.
They also recognized how these projects will transform their children's education with additional learning resources and better lighting. One of the teachers excitedly described how he planned to use the new resources to teach his students about their indigenous culture and heritage through songs and dances now that the new solar power made it possible for him to play tapes, CDs, and DVDs.”
Closing Thoughts
We are grateful to our long-time friend and master photographer/videographer, James Gray of MissionFOTO, who accompanied our team during the journey. James will produce a short documentary film which will be posted online later this year or early 2013. Once ready, we will post the video to the SonLight Power Channel on YouTube. Stay tuned!
As the milestones from our trip attest, I couldn't be more excited - we have every reason to celebrate the future of SonLight Power in Mexico and beyond.
For more information and on-site photos of this and other SonLight Power mission trips, visit and 'Like' the SonLight Power fans page on Facebook
Does your family, church, or workplace want to join or sponsor a SonLight Power mission trip? Connect with us at +1 or e-mail Communication@SonLightPower.org.
