There’s something special about light.
Most of us know the feeling of fumbling around in the dark until we manage to find a light switch or our cell phone. When we’re in total darkness, we can’t flip the switch fast enough.
Light gives us the freedom to tackle whatever problem had us running for that light switch in the first place.
That’s what I love about Second Mile Haiti’s solar street lamp installations.
As of Tuesday, Second Mile Haiti has installed 127 solar panel street lamps in the communities right outside of our Maternity and Malnutrition Centers.
They now touch 6 different communities and provide light for thousands of people!
Yesterday I saw two girls, maybe 10, skipping home hand in hand, their hair freshly braided for the school day ahead. It was 7:30 in the evening, with only a sliver of moonlight in the sky.
There would have been no way for them to skip so freely if the street lamps we’d installed earlier in the year weren’t casting a glow across their entire route.
I like to solve problems. But I really love to see girls skipping freely in a place where they should always feel safe.
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This week’s solar panel installation was the easiest one yet!
Because of your donations, we are able to purchase the solar lamps, the metal posts and some wood to create a cement base, locally.
Normally, we would also provide the cement, while the community would come in with sand and water for mixing.
But this time, a few community members gifted bags of cement they’d purchased for their own home repairs.
All of the labor, cement mixing, hauling, was donated as well.
Pictured here are just 6 of the 100+ people who came out to help.
Including the local mayor—dressed for a day of hard work.
So much excitement in the air!
Local mayor, Patrick Guillome (second from left), stands with a group local residents
Two years ago, if you drove through this area after dark, you may have seen light from a single cell phone flash—bobbing in the distance as someone tried desperately to light their own way.
Now you see dozens of businesses attracting clusters of people beneath each lamp. There are hot dog stands and women sitting beside steaming pots of soup.
You hear music playing and kids are riding their bikes in and out of the fray.
Beneath some of the panels, people of all generations are playing cards, talking, and laughing. And beneath others, teens sit silently memorizing facts and figures for their upcoming school exams.
If you make regular contributions to Second Mile Haiti, thank you!
You made this possible.
To learn more about solar street lamp installations or to sponsor one in the future, send us a message. We’d love to chat.
Sending love (and light) from Haiti.
❤️🔦