BULDON, SHARIFF KABUNSUAN–Nine-year-old Jamael Akmad’s life always began at 6 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m.
During the day, she spends most of her time in school. At home at night, she sleeps early and waits for the next sunrise.
“But now, life has changed,” she said.
Jamael’s village of Kulimpang was one of the recipients of a solar energy program funded by the US government and Mirant Philippines.
“We can now study at night, we can now see the world through our television,” Jamael, a Grade 4 pupil at the Kulimpang Elementary School, said.
The electrification project, which has been ongoing in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, provided “light” and “new life” to thousands of children, like Akmad, in the region’s poorest and most remote communities.
Sun’s benefits
For example, the solar energy harnessed by the Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (Amore) program also benefited fisherman Ajijul Sampang of Tawi-Tawi.
“I had four Petromax (kerosene lamps) before but I sold three of them. In our village, nobody needs them now except those fishing at night. We already have electricity,” Sampang said.
Bukari Gumaga, 47, an imam of Kulimpang, thanked Allah when the fluorescent lamp installed in his house started to flicker into life on Monday.
“At the mosque in our village, we were previously dependent on kerosene lamp. But now we have electricity. We are thankful. My seven kids can also study longer even at night,” Gumaga told the Inquirer.
Savings
Baidido Macatambog, 36, a mother of four, said the solar-energy project also meant savings for her and her family.
“We can now save the money we spend for kerosene daily. We are planning to buy a television so that we will know what’s happening in our country and we can watch leading soap opera shows,” Macatambog said.
To mark the “energization” of some 12,000 household in the ARMM, Amore beneficiaries participated in the region-wide switch-on ceremony on Monday evening.
The event coincided with the observance of Lailatul Qadr or the “Night of Power” in Islam. Lailatur Qadr is celebrated during one of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Muslims believe that it was during Laila-tul Qadr when the first Divine revelation came to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).
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