Solar Panels Pakistan Westminster College MO Hassaan Sipra, Pakistan, Westminster College MO The installation of solar panels in rural Sindh, Pakistan was meant to provide simple electricity to village-folk, farmers, so that they may have some ease in their lives, mostly through a light in the dark and a fan. The panels were installed at my grandfather’s farms, where his farmers and their families were able to enjoy the benefit of minimal electricity, while learning about solar panels and appreciating the actions of an American’s investment into their future. In terms of fulfilling these goals, I was successful. The money from the Davis Foundation has helped begin the process of transformation of lives in Hafiz Niaz (my Nana, my mother’s father) Goath, where the beneficiaries of the solar panels were excited to hear about stories of the West, and grateful for the gift they received. With only $10,000, I was able to open a whole new mystery for the people of my village, much to their delight. The journey to make this happen was never meant to be easy, but the experience that I have personally gained from this gesture, is not only rewarding, it has also ignited a desire for me to continue in such a line of professional work. The project itself was fairly simple: purchase some solar panels, and install them on the roof of my grandfather’s house. Wiring for the panels was sent to the back portion of the house (where three farmers’ families live) as well as to our mosque (which serves as a school too), and to the main open gathering area in front of the house, where everyone gathers for community bonding. A total of 450 Watt- producing worth of solar panels (seven panels) were purchased from Hi-Tech Alternate Energy Systems, PLC, in cooperation with Akhter Solar, PLC. The electricity generated is enough to power three fans (pedestal, for mobility purposes) and six energy savers at any given time, dependent on solar radiation, of course. Conversations with Mr. Shams, Accountant at Akhter, and with Mr. Iqbal, Director of Hi-Tech, began in early January. Both of them were excited about the prospect of helping provide alternate energy sources to me, especially considering the shortage of electricity in Pakistan recently. Their experience and guidance was instrumental in helping me decide what to do and how to go about the project. We barely had to do anything, except pay them and watch as they took care of everything. The problems surrounding the project had less to do with the project, and more to do with the political situation in Pakistan, and my own family problems. My nana passed away a few days before I was to arrive in Pakistan, and this expedited my return there from the U.S. I paid my final respects to him and while in the village of Punjab, arranged for the materials to be readied, and kept in contact with Mr. Iqbal and Nara Kohli, a trusted farmer of my grandfather’s. Nara was the spokesperson for everyone at the farms, and his daily updates allowed me to remain level headed about this project. For you see, my nana and dada (my father’s father), were the only two relatives of mine who lived on the farms and oversaw everyone’s work there. With the head of my family gone, I was hesitant to continue with the project, mostly because of inheritance laws but, I continued to persevere. Pakistan is an Islamic Republic, and as such a lot of its rules and regulations are based on Sharia, or Koranic law – inheritance more so than anything else. I knew that he had five legal heirs: two brothers, two sisters and his only daughter. With the land up for being split, the idea of the solar panels remaining in the only secure location (the roof of our house) was in jeopardy. However, after discussions with the heirs, we finally came to an agreement where the charge of the solar panels was given to my dada and they were put off-limits to everyone but him and Nara. Their great love for my nana also resulted in the agreement that his land should all be transferred into the name of his daughter, my mother, ensuring that no future property disputes would occur. With one problem solved, I moved to Karachi to cash my traveler’s checks and make the big payment, only to find out that all banks in Pakistan had shut down their traveler’s check-cashing facilities within the last month due to large counterfeiting scams. While I hopped around Karachi banks in the heat, frustration again mounted due the lack of cold hard Pakistani rupees in my hand. Fortunately, my mother emptied her bank account as well as borrowed from friends to make the payments, while we were told to expect to wait 15 business days before the checks could be cashed. When all was said and done, the political target killings in Karachi began, putting the city in lockdown mode for three days. There were cars being burned, shops looted and safety was dwindling. In between all of the problems surrounding me, the realism of my nana’s loss hit me. This was the first time that I visited and he was not present. But all the farmers and their families were extremely Solar Panels Pakistan Westminster College MO Hassaan Sipra, Pakistan, Westminster College MO supportive and after paying their respects, became very intrigued with the newly installed panels. The Hi-Tech company sent an installation team out that explained what the solar panels did to all of the men in the village. News of the new panels traveled fast, and within hours, lots of people showed up to watch them install the panels which went well into the night. For days, kids from around the area came to get a glimpse of the panels shimmering in sunlight, and adults who came for condolences congratulated me and asked how to get them installed at their farms and/or villages. I, in turn, was happy to share my knowledge acquired through my research for this project. Despite all the difficulties, the process proved to be enlightening to more than just myself. Wilayat, one of my dada’s dear friends, has always had an aptitude for machines, and has taken to learning about solar panels from an acquaintance of his at the UNDP’s Badin office since seeing them for the first time on our roof. While nothing is set in stone yet, he bounced around the idea of assembling solar panels himself, by cheaply buying broken, but still functioning, photovoltaic (PV) cells that most companies do not use, due to their lowered efficiency and for aesthetic reasons. He knows that there is plenty of demand for it in the region, and if the business model is successful, he hopes to earn enough to buy a plot and develop it in Mandi Bahuddin (a city not far from Dharekan). The scale of this project was small, and I never had any ambitions for it to be larger than it turned out; but it has affected the lives of approximately 25 people, who are better off due to it. They have light, which sometimes, we take for granted. They have been introduced to a new technology – one that is analogous to how leaves produce carbohydrates for plants by capturing sunlight. It is an easy-to- understand analogy for these people, considering they are farmers. This donation has opened a dialogue for them with the West. They know that the people responsible for providing them with this luxury are Americans, and now they want to learn about them and realize that they are people too. Most evenings, after I looked over the farm accounts with my dada, we would sit with our farmers and discuss routine topics. However, they also wanted to know about life in the States. When I told them that in Missouri it got as humid as it did in Pakistan, they could not believe it. They always assumed that America was an eternally cold land. Examples abound of this sort of revelatory conversation, and they loved it. Through answering their questions, I realized that suddenly the people who are portrayed in the news (on our radio) as a warring nation came to life for them, with depth, emotions and motivations. That was what I loved the most about doing this project, especially considering how near and dear most of these people are to my heart. Creating that sort of realization across boundaries is my definition of peace, and it is one I think we can accomplish. This project was not the cheapest option I had, or perhaps, even the best one. The PV cells were imported from Germany and assembled in Pakistan. They are the best on the market, with a lifetime of 25 years. Hi-Tech is available to us at any time, if there is ever a problem. Once the project was completed I found out that wind turbines are available for half the cost of this project and provide double the energy output. However, they have a life expectancy of only seven years, due to more moving parts, as well as requiring more rigorous maintenance. I felt the less maintenance, the better, and went with the option that came true. The knowledge, respect, passion and experience that I have gained as a result of this project is something I wish to continue to use. It has certainly helped me make connections in Pakistan with regards to renewable energy sources and opened doors for the future. While there is no worldwide peace because of this tiny contribution on all our parts, there is a small village population that has learned some valuable lessons about humans and life on the other side of the planet, a side that is not always favorably viewed in Pakistan. They have learned to differentiate between politics and people along with being introduced to a technology that is one of the keys in our fight against global climate destabilization. So, thank you; and mission accomplished. **NOTE: Due to the unfavorably windy, humid weather during my time in Pakistan, the memory card on the digital camera was damaged and as a result, all the photos of the project were lost and not able to be recovered. Upon my return to the village in October, I will be able to obtain more pictures and send these onto the Davis Foundation through Jill Olson (campus coordinator) at that time.