Imagine 85 degrees Fahrenheit in a room of 150 children.
They have to learn and become future leaders. It’s hard to breathe. In the shorter, dark days of winter, they must leave early to have light on their way home. Zakat Foundation of America provides solar power to Pakistan’s poorest areas. Education is a human right. By providing education for students, together we provide a better, brighter future for the people of Pakistan.
Al-Ibrahim Oasis Public School in Pakistan has about 350 students, but no electricity. It’s not just the school; the entire village lacks electricity.
“Nonprofit NGOs give us some assistance in running the school, but they haven’t been able to arrange for electricity at this school,” the school’s principal said before solar power was installed. “Kindly help us in setting up electricity at the school so our students can learn properly.”
Many schools in Pakistan function without electricity, which prevents students from learning in optimal conditions. The heat and poor lighting are distractions, and they lack the energy to use their technological resources such as computers that could improve their education.
Zakat Foundation of America is partnering with Stellargenesys, a company that provides solar energy solutions in residential, commercial and agricultural settings in Karachi, Pakistan.
Village elders came to the consensus to use the solar power on the school, putting the children’s needs first. Stellargenesys is powering the School of Noor Mohammed Village’s four rooms, four fans, light bulbs and power outlets to help the youth stay focused while they study.
The company also powers solar water pumps, which are solar panels that run motors, which in turn bring clean well water out to a tank. The pump in Maher Ali Hashim Village powers both a water well and a school, and another panel powers a school and a health clinic.
Solar panels can run for about 20 years and are an efficient, effective and sustainable energy form. Zakat Foundation of America and Stellargenesys, together with HANDS, a non-governmental humanitarian organization based in Pakistan, are working to positively impact as many schools as possible.