Earlier this year, we underwent the second phase of the FieldgenGoesSolar project and Luana, one of our volunteer students who joined us this time, has shared her experience in the school’s journal Trait d’union.
It all started with an 18 hour flight on 29th March. An additional 3 hour drive across the island of Cebu has brought our volunteers to their final destination: the municipality of Daanbantayan, situated in the northernmost part of the island. They’d been waiting for this moment for almost a year.
Our collaboration with the École Privée Fieldgen allows for a group of volunteer students and teachers to accompany us to the region. They are trained in advance in a series of workshops to prepare them for the work on site where they support us in laying the groundwork and setting up solar installations in households that are not connected to the grid.
For many families in our area of operation, access to the power grid and therefore to a lighting supplier is unfortunately either impossible or unaffordable to this day. As a result, light has become a luxury good. “Many of the residents have to rely on kerosine to light their homes, which is very risky and bad for your health” Luana states in her report. During their stay earlier this year, our team managed to complete 17 installations in a matter of about two weeks. “The joy on their faces when they finally had power is an impression I will never forget.” Luana continues “Never before have I been so aware that having basic access to electricity in everyday life is, for many people, not a given”.
A cornerstone of FieldgenGoesSolar lies in the intercultural exchange between our volunteer students and the local residents. Together, we explored the island in great detail. We visited bustling markets and city centres, met with local students and learned a lot about life in the Philippines. In her article published in Trait d’union, Luana highlights the sense of creativity of the people she met during her stay. “The people are incredibly sociable and friendly” she shares with her readers “They always wave back at you, even if they don’t know you”.
Our team has documented their journey on our dedicated Instagram account and have returned from the Philippines with a great set of new skills and experiences. As for Luana, she has gained a new perspective on life. “I have learned to appreciate the things you have and not to take everything for granted.” Participating in this project has left her with a whole lot of impressions she keeps close to her heart. “All in all” she concludes in her report “it was an unforgettable experience.”
FieldgenGoesSolar is part of our WeGoSolar project we perform in the rural Daanbantayan region.
