Success Du Soliel (Panels)

I am back from Haiti. The trip was not without a few bumps but ultimately was a huge success.

The community center at Grand Sous now has linear fluorescent lighting and 120v AC power throughout. We installed (8) 135 watt Kyocera panels and (12) 100 Amp/hour batteries in the building with a 1750 watt inverter.

I arrived on Saturday Jan. 8th and Chad Bissionette from Roots of Development met me inside the airport (don't ask how he achieved that feat). We travelled by van to the ferry slip about 90 minutes from Port Au Prince and spent the night there as the last boat was already gone. Several members of APDAG, the community board travelled with us, and Mariemathe, Chad's host sister left PAP to spend the week with us. Logistics are always a challenge in far flung parts of developing nations. I was a bit nervous watching all our gear being transported to the ferry by rowboat!

The first full day onsite we hit a few snags and had to travel back to Port Au Prince for more equipment. This involved a motorcycle ride down the mountain at 3 am to make the first boat off the island, a speedboat ride to the main island and then a series of

public buses to keep costs down. After picking up what we needed, we barely made the last "pirate ship" back to La Gonave Island. By 9pm we were back in the village. When the nearest

electrical supply house is an 18 hour round trip, you need to be make sure

you get what you need the first time!

The work progressed the next few days and by Thursday we had the battery bank installed and the lighting working

The Panels were placed into a welded frame for security and the system is set to be protected and to serve the community for the next 25 years

It was incredibly satisfying for all of us who worked so hard over the week to see the lights on after dark in the community center. The APDAG board

was able to meet after dark and see their notes and when the meeting broke, they emerged into the larger meeting room and grins broke wide on their faces as they saw the room lit up to 30 fc or so! Early Friday we got the photovoltaic panels online and

watched the voltage indicator climb all day in the strong sun.

By the end of the day we saw the battery bank voltage go from 12.3v to 14.2v. That evening, APDAG had a send off party for me in the community hall. A stereo was plugged in to the wall outlets and the lights were on.

I was presented with a plaque and quite a spread of delicious food. No one in the village has an oven but somehow they had baked a huge cake! As people walked past the center on the way to draw drinking water, they now have a lit waypoint. APDAG had plans for this capacity in the form of a computer and phone center with internet acccess, but now that they understand the capacity a bit more, other income producing ideas are on the table including a freezer to make ice for sale, and a small public lighting intiative in the town square and at the water source.
All income will be used to fund intiatives that benefit the entire village. APDAG has built several homes for the most needy and spearheaded the water source project along with Roots of Development and Chad Bissionette.
I was very thankful to have a partner like Chad Bissionette in all of this. He is tireless, resourceful and postive, despite the considerable challenges presented by the political climate and lack of resources in this part of Haiti. We had a lot of laughs and many hours together as we travelled back and forth and met with village leaders.



The people of Grand Sous were so very welcoming and and the people of APDAG did an amazing job laying the groundwork (and all the building wiring) before we arrived. . Huge thanks go out to my donors who helped make this possible and for my partners in APDAG and Roots of Development! Chad Groshart