"Lights close to everyone" - Siemens supports a charity project in Mexico
The Mexican charity project „Luz cerca de todos“ (Light close to everyone) works to bring electric power to villages that are not connected to the grid. Siemens supported it in the installation of solar panels that have changed the life of people.
About the project
Light and electricity are precious commodities
The Mexican state of Querétaro is located in central Mexico about two hours northwest of Mexico City. While the capital Santiago de Querétaro has a good infrastructure, many highland villages and farms are accessible only by unpaved roads. Here, 30,000 people still live without running water and do not have access to the public power grid. Most of them spend up to 40 percent of their income on candles and batteries. This makes light and electricity precious commodities to be used sparingly. The opportunities to read a book, listen to the radio, and watch TV are few and far between. Consequently, schooling and information are on a comparatively low level in the mountains of Querétaro (You also call the city Santiago de Querétaro just Querétaro which is of course not underdevelopped.).
But in the small town of Adjuntitas Dos, lights come on now at the flick of a switch in the dining room of farmer Artemio Juárez. He owns one of the houses that have been equipped with solar power systems as part of the "Luz cerca de todos" (“Light close to everyone”) project. The project works to bring electric power to villages that are not connected to the public power grid.
Savings and better educational oppotunities
Siemens Energy supports the project with the donation and installation of 182 solar power systems for homes and ten systems for public buildings in nine towns that do not have a public power utility. The small-scale systems generate enough electricity to operate lamps, a radio, or a television for several hours.
The Mexican project "Luz cerca de todos"
This does not only bring light to the people, but makes significant savings possible and increases schooling. The Energy Sector covered the 230,000 Euros in material expenses and oversaw the installation of the solar systems. “We not only want to create jobs and expand our business in the region, but to contribute to the development of the communities where we operate. That’s why we organize programs that improve people’s quality of life through technology,” said Louise Goeser, CEO of Siemens Mesoamérica, at the signing ceremony of the donation agreement.
Documetary film
In the town of Adjuntitas Dos, the German film director Roland May and his team documented the installation of the 182 solar power systems. The farmer Artemio Juárez allowed May an inside look at his family. In fascinating images, the short film depicts life in the remote isolation of the Mexican highlands and shows how a single solar panel changed conditions on the farm.
2011-Nov-01