LEN recently completed installation of a off-grid solar power system at an orphanage in the town of Voinjama, upper Lofa County, Liberia. Voinjama is located near the Guinea border in the far northwestern corner of Liberia beyond the current reach of the national grid, and is unlikely to be connected for many years.
The installation was made possible by a grant from the US based Elmo Foundation to Social Empowerment Through Learning, an NGO operated by a group of Catholic Nuns who have been working for several years in the area to improve the lives of Liberian women and children, including operating an orphanage. LEN was selected by the Elmo Foundation to do the design and installation of the project.
Following installation of the system, Sister Bridget described the impact of having access to reliable power:
“…we have current 24 hours a day both in the office and in our house. It’s been running like this for the last five days and it is just amazing. We can do whatever we have to do whenever we like, such as printing etc. It is hard to believe that we are so blessed!!…The team that came to do the installation from LEN was a very nice group of men. They really worked very hard and very efficiently and made sure everything was working properly before they left for Monrovia….The staff in the office are really delighted to have solar as they can work any time that suits them. Some of therm are studying in the local college so they can do some studying at night time….the solar installation is just a dream come true. “