Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Expand African Photovoltaic Project

IPSWICH, Mass. - June 26, 2013 - PRLog -- This year marks the tenth anniversary of the groundbreaking African Photovoltaic Project initiated by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 2003. The project currently consists of two sites in Nigeria and four in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Plans are underway to increase the number of sites in Congo to seven and to complete seven additional sites in Nigeria. To highlight the project’s continuing success, the Congregation is hosting a celebration, A Decade of Success: The African Photovoltaic Project, on Fri., Nov. 1, 2013, at Emmanuel College in Boston, Mass. The public is invited. Tickets may be purchased at www.mktix.com/sndden.

“Providing electricity to impoverished villages is at the heart of our mission,” said Sister Lorraine Connell, the Congregation’s General Treasurer and facilitator of the African Photovoltaic Project. “It provides people who are otherwise dismissed and discounted with the means to participate in the commerce, culture and communication of the 21^st century.”

The Sisters’ African photovoltaic systems provide potable water upon demand. Entire populations are no longer forced to spend hours and energy each day in walking to and from rivers and forests in search of water as well as the firewood that must be used to boil it before it is safe to consume. Liberation from these tasks, along with access to advanced medical care at the Sisters’ clinics, allows time to pursue employment and educational opportunities – all due to the power of photovoltaics. Because of this cycle of increased well-being, people formerly unable to contribute to the economic and educational engines of their communities are now able to promote growth and stability.  

“It’s all about hope,” said Sister Lorraine. “People served by these photovoltaic sites, are leap-frogging from the Stone Age to the Information Age. When you have access to knowledge, ideas and information-sharing via the Internet there’s no telling how creative and life-giving this can be.”    

To find out more about “A Decade of Success: The African Photovoltaic Project” Celebration, visit: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs127/1103923442549/archive/1113163122990.html.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur are an international Congregation of women religious, founded by St. Julie Billiart (1751-1816) in Amiens, France in 1804.  The Congregation is committed to making known God’s goodness through education in a variety of ministries. Sisters serve on five continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America, and work to change lives by a “fundamental commitment to stand with our sisters and brothers who live in poverty and accompany them in their struggle.” Offices/centers are located in Rome, ITALY, Namur, BELGIUM and Ipswich, MA, USA.  Visit our web site at: http://www.sndden.org.