June 18, 2014, Washi and Alicia Komar completed the distribution of all 18 BBOXX solar lighting systems for the communities of Patacancha and Qalqanqa - Yanamayu. Alicia reported:
It was an extremely long and grueling day (as always!). We started out at 4:30am, only to have a flat tire on the truck within the first 15 minutes. After we finally got the spare tire changed, we were on our way. We picked up 3 other helpers on the way, as we drove first from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, then to the communities of Patacancha, Qalqanqa and Yanamayu. The roads, as you may well know, go high into the mountains and are dangerous switchbacks all the way. Our saving grace was that it is not rainy season, so we were able to pass without incident, although we still had to drive slowly and with much caution.
We brought 18 BBOXX7 units, which consist of a 20 Watt Solar Panel, 7 amp hour Battery, Controller, 2 LED Lights, adapters for cellphone charging and radio, all necessary cables, sockets and switches. As the day progressed, we met with many different families in these communities that had been identified by the community Presidents. These families had shown interest in the solar lighting systems for their estancias, and were willing to contribute to the cost of the system. As the families are so spread out, we met with them in many different locations bringing the solar panel systems to them. In total, we made about 8 different stops. At each stop, we met with families, demonstrated the units and installation, and provided them with literature and contact information for follow-up trouble shooting.
Buen Power Peru contributed funding for transportation and delivery costs. In total, there are 151 people that will now have access to electricity in their estancias.
