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Discerners Go Solar!
By Sister Angela
Golapi Palma, CSC
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Sunlight is necessary to support and sustain life. Many people throughout
Asia consider the sun to be a powerful god. In my country,
Bangladesh, the Garo people believe that Suljung, the sun, is
the source of all power.
In my own life I have learned to appreciate the power of the sun. |
"The
men worked for a whole day and placed eight lights in different
rooms." |
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When I was in school, I learned how to use solar heat to to cook rice. At our mission in Jalchatra, we
used a solar water heater to warm our bath water during winter.
A Holy Cross brother taught us to make solar stoves so we could
cook without cutting down trees for firewood.
While I was in Ghana, we sisters tried to build
a solar stove. Despite our best efforts, we could not make it
work. But when we went to celebrate the feast of Christ the King
in a fishing village near the Atlantic Ocean, we stayed in a
house where everything was operated by solar power, even their
refrigerator! I was very interested in learning how this worked,
and the owner willingly shared all the information with me.
When I went to Bangalore, I noticed yellow
tanks on the roof of almost every home. I learned that these
tanks were solar water heaters.
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Now I am living with young women who are discerning the call to religious
life. The discerners’ program includes two years of study at
Holy Cross College. We need access to a reliable source of power
and light so the young women can study at night. I asked for
permission to have solar panels installed at our house, but
initially this request was denied. We tried to get by with
lanterns and charger lights, but power was unreliable. This was
frustrating for the discerners.
As an alternative, I studied the feasibility and cost
of using Integrated Power Systems (IPS) and was ready to sign up
for this service. But before I did, I talked with a
Holy Cross brother who is an
expert on solar power systems.
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"[Discerners] need access to
a reliable source of power and light so [they] can study at
night."
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After our conversation I had a
very strong feeling that I should try one more time to get
approval for the installation of solar panels. I contacted our
area coordinator, and we had a good conversation about the pros
and cons of both IPS and solar. This time she said yes to solar.
I felt happy and so grateful. I cancelled IPS right away and
contacted Grameen Shakti, part of the Grameen Bank that is
bringing affordable solar power to rural areas of Bangladesh.
A few days later,
three men came with everything they needed to install the solar
system. First, they put the panel on the roof and connected the
battery that is charged by the sun. The men worked for a whole
day and put eight lights in different rooms, including the
chapel, community room, veranda, hallway, kitchen and dining
room.
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That evening, when it
got dark, we turned on the solar light for the first time. The
house was bright; everyone had enough light to study and work.
We do not buy kerosene anymore, and we use the savings to pay
for our solar system. No more running for matches to light the
lanterns, and no more smoke from the lantern’s flame. |
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"We hope and pray that this
wise use of Earth's natural resources will spread throughout the
congregation and beyond." |
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Now we are breathing
cleaner air and living in a healthier environment.
When we purchased the Discerners’ House, we
named it Proggalaya, or Wisdom. We are grateful that our
congregation has the wisdom to employ a renewable source of
power to meet our needs. We hope and pray that this wise use of
Earth’s natural resources will spread throughout the
congregation and beyond.
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