As we settle into the new year, we’re sharing news of one of our latest mission projects, which will fund solar panels for a very poor mission station in Cameroon.
Solar panels will provide safe, reliable electricity for this very remote parish in the Equatorial forest in Bengbis, Cameroon
The parish of Our Lady of the Assumption was founded in Bengbis, Cameroon, in 1937. It is the third oldest parish in the Diocese of Sangmelima, and is extremely isolated, situated in the heart of the Equatorial forest. Its population is made up of four groups: the Yekombo, the Yetchang, the Maka, and the Pygmies in the Dja canton.
In this extremely rural community, the electrical system is powered by a generator that is not sufficient to meet the needs of the entire area. This means that the town constantly struggles with low voltage that is insufficient to reliably power lighting, the community’s large appliances, and the operation of the local well, which provides drinking water. Most notably, the parish medical centre is affected dreadfully by these lapses in power, which is highly detrimental to its vital work in serving local regions. “When the power fails because of a lack of generator fuel or sustainable power, critical services in the clinic suffer,” writes parish priest Fr Gadam Dieudonné Valentin MSC. In addition, the location of the parish means that it is so far from nearby towns, a regular and sustainable supply of fuel can never be assured, adding to the unreliability of the electricity supply.
“Faced with this critical and urgent situation, it is wise, sustainable, and imperative, to resort to alternative means of electrification, such as solar panels,” writes Fr Gadam. Coming in a cost of just under €10,000, these solar panels will provide a reliable and sustainable supply of electricity to the area. This is vital to the efficient running of the medical centre and the provision of good quality drinking water to the local community, as well as the general facilitation of a dependable and functional electrical supply for the region.
Solar panels will be invaluable for this very remote community, ensuring the provision of safe, clean drinking water and keeping a steady supply of electricity to the local medical centre
Thanks to the loyal support of our mission friends and benefactors here in the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, we are glad to be able to help our MSC brothers in the Cameroon with funding for the solar panels, which will be hugely benefit the quality of life of communities in the region. As always, we thank you for your continued friendship, which means so much to so many, all over the world.