Through local business development, the NGO Poder y Luz Maya brings energy-efficient solutions to underserved communities in Guatemala.
Monika Noeline Goforth and Marilena Choguaj decided to provide access to basic services – such as electricity and clean water – and to fight extreme poverty among the communities in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. In 2014, they founded Poder y Luz Maya. This NGO provides access to the use of climate-smart solutions: water filters, solar systems, solar dehydrators, clean stoves… It improves the health and economy of families, as well as reducing carbon emissions.
Women’s empowerment and inclusion
The NGO promotes women leaders and leaders of rural communities affected by climate change. The NGO’s work focuses on empowering and including women to develop, with them, access to information on the use and exploitation of new technologies as a means to sustainability and a better quality of life.
The Poder y Luz Maya team is carrying out several projects at the same time: the electrification of community buildings with solar energy, the sensitization to the use of renewable technologies, the design of environmental technologies (with the support of Guatemalan, American and Mexican universities).
These projects have a significant impact. More than 15,000 people have solar energy in their communities. Nearly 1,000 rural Guatemalans are being trained in solar technology. 2 cooperatives, 5 community centers and 18 schools and educational institutes, 9 of which have computer labs, are running on solar energy.
The Poder y Luz Maya team is committed to continuing to raise awareness and empower communities.
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