By Sara Eisemann | Eneji Pwop Director of Operations
When EarthSpark brought the first grid electricity to Les Anglais, Haiti, Jean-Jean was afraid he wouldn't be able to afford the $30 connection fee. For years, he had used kerosene lamps to light the small blue house where he lives with his three children, an 8-year-old girl and two boys ages 5 and 13. But he was determined to be in the first group of full-fledged EKo Pwòp customers. “I will get the money before the deadline,” he told a community organizer. “And you’ll see, I’ll be your best customer.”
EKo Pwòp, which stands for Elektrisite Kominote Pwòp (“clean community electricity” in Haitian Creole), is EarthSpark’s micro-utility in Les Anglais and currently serves 54 customers — including Jean-Jean, who found the money for the connection fee and has put away his smoky lamps. This summer, our team has been hard at work helping the Les Anglais community to prepare for EKo Pwòp’s expansion to a larger solar-powered microgrid that will serve over 400 homes and small businesses.
Today is Global Giving Matching Day - Can you support the construction of a solar-powered microgrid with a donation today?
From holding community meetings to numbering nearly 500 homes and businesses with their first-ever street addresses, EarthSpark staff and local partners are ensuring that future customers understand the different levels of service and the myriad ways in which their lives will change with access to reliable, affordable electricity. Community members like Rosane Jean-Jacques and Juline Joint are conducting surveys to find out exactly how residents currently light their homes and determine the best ways to help them transition to life “on the grid.”
We are well on our way to a successful expansion, but we need your help to make it a reality. Today, July 16, is a perfect time to support us as it is GlobalGiving’s Partner Rewards Bonus Day. As a GlobalGiving Leader, we are eligible for 40% in matching funds for all donations made online through GlobalGiving today (up to $1000, from 9 am until 11:59 pm). Do you know someone who would be interested in this story? Please share this post with your friends and family. Thank you, as always, for your partnership as we look forward to lighting Jean-Jean’s home and all of Les Anglais with clean and affordable solar electricity!
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