The solar panels at GS Kibangu are up and running, and the timing could not have been better. They were installed right before the school year began during the time our community has been experiencing a huge power outage. The small hydropower plant that supplies the entire community with electricity has been damaged significantly. The electrical company is hopefully sending someone to fix it, but being in a rural area we are at the bottom of the list. Because of the solar panels, the students are still able to study on the computers and use all 18 computers the lab now has.
As the current Peace Corps Volunteer serving at GS Kibangu, I wanted to share about the impact these solar panels will have on our students. I have lived in Kibangu for 14 months, and consider it a home. The students here are so motivated to learn and better themselves yet their opportunities are very limited. But these students are Rwandans future, and the future here is looking bright. Rwanda is one of the fastest developing countries in Africa, and the opportunities and resources available to our students today far out weighs that of their parents. Most of their parents have a primary education at most, and our students will graduate from school with a full secondary education. Once they graduate they will enter a Rwandan society that is quickly changing and adapting to the 21st century. Technology is everywhere here, from the mobile phone system to the printing labs set up on the corner of the village. By giving these students electricity, you are allowing them access to technological education that will help them to find jobs in their quickly changing environment. The solar panels are allowing these students from a rural area to have the same educational access as those in the city. This access to education will then in turn help them to find a job, and help their families. These small steps will be how we end poverty, and fill the world with a little more peace.
An example of this can be seen in Antoinette. Antoinette is a student leader here at GS Kibangu and is working to finish her secondary schooling this year. By allowing Antoinette access to computers she is learning how to type, how to use programs like Microsoft Word, and how to use the internet. These skills will go with her throughout her life, helping her to procure jobs and to also help her own family. The solar panels and computer lab are helping the high percentage of girls here at the school to get a stronger education. By empowering these girls, we are empowering future professional, mothers, and leaders.
In conclusion, I want to thank all of you for your very generous donation to our school. The solar panels are already making a difference for the students here. Your gift is giving them an advantage that will serve them throughout their lives, and allows them to have many opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. All of us at school are truly grateful for the solar panels, and what it means to the entire community. Thank you. I feel proud to represent America because of people like you, who willingly and selflessly give.
“Unless someone like you cared a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” -Dr. Seuss
Love & Peace,
Tara