Rural Guatemalan Village Receives First Electricity to Light
Homes and Lives The lack of electricity and cost of having
conventional utility requires people to burn kerosene and
candles in homes. This is a health and safety issue that can
cause chronic pulmonary disease and an impaired ability to read
or conduct activities when the sun is down. La Communidad de La
Nueva Providencia consists of a lower and upper village that
together are home to approximately 40 families. The community is
on the site of a former coffee finca that was abandoned about a
decade ago. Many of the residents are former employees of the
finca and currently work in neighboring fincas. The need for
electricity and light at the Village is pressing. The arrival of
dusk at 6 pm used to bring darkness to economic activity,
education, and safety. Now, due to this project, the villagers
have outdoor street lights and some indoor lights. However,
there is still a high demand for electricity in the Village, for
use in lighting all homes, operat