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Remote villages to receive solar energy systems

HighlightsRemote villages to receive solar energy systems

MACHAKILHA AND GRAHAM CREEK, Toledo District, Mon. Feb. 22, 2021– In southern Belize, very remote villages still lack access to electricity. It is not cost-effective to connect these locations to the existing power grids in Belize, for the villages are far away. In order to devise a way to provide electricity to the residents of these remote villages that is not cost-prohibitive, the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government and Plenty International Belize Limited met with the villagers of Machakilha and Graham Creek.

Plenty Belize believes that solar power could be a cheap and reliable alternative source of electricity. A report from Plenty Belize said, “It might take a few clusters [of solar units] to power an entire village, but with a local power board, the system could sustain itself indefinitely.”

The Ministry supported the project by formally establishing solar power boards in the communities and providing them with the materials and information necessary. Since solar panels generally have a battery life of five to seven (5-7) years, the solar power boards will be tasked with maintaining the system.

The initiative will be implemented in these villages under the Indigenous Female Solar Engineers Scaling Up Solar Energy to Machakilha and Graham Creek Plan. Three Mayan women have been entrusted with installing these household solar systems. These women are Ms. Florentina Choco, Ms. Miriam Choc and Ms. Cristina Choc. These women, who received training at the Barefoot College in India, will now be tasked with delivering solar energy to the villages of Machakilha and Graham Creek.

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