May 31, 2024, was the last day of our trip. Nine years and five months after EWB-DC and the Hato Rincón community signed the construction partnership agreement. The students of the introductory course on electricity, guided by the EWB-DC team, successfully completed the installation of the photovoltaic system in the Educational Resources Center in Rincon and turned on the building’s lights!
To prepare for this moment, we began working hard two weeks prior. On our first day in the community, the Structure project team brought the necessary tools and supplies, along with a bunch of books donated and gathered by EWB members in Panama City. Nearly 600 more books in excellent condition were added to the library’s inventory, much to the kids’ delight!
So, we need more shelves! There are some carpenters in the community. However, throughout our partnership, more community volunteers have become qualified to use power tools and read measurements to cut wood. Most importantly, they have become skilled in working at the pace of our talented carpenter and EWB leader. Together, we built four more bookshelves, four tables, and benches!
The EWB team and the community volunteers began beautifying the building during the first week. The Structure team installed a roof vent and skylight to maximize natural light inside. So, the recently painted inside walls and floor stand out with the illumination. Light colors inside and on the exterior. However, the geometric figures in primary and secondary colors inspired by the traditional design of the Ngäbe women’s dresses, known as nagua, grabbed everyone’s attention. These designs symbolize natural elements and animals of the mountains, such as snakes and rainbows.
During our work and creative endeavors, we made time to meet and acknowledge the families who have supported the CREER project from the outset and have been serving the community for so many years. EWB-DC presented them with t-shirts depicting the blueprint of the CREER building as a token of gratitude as we near the completion of the project. What started as a dream grew into a conversation and required dedication, organization, and hard work to see it through over almost a decade. We thank Hato Rincón for welcoming us, sharing its story, providing food and shelter, and opening the community’s roads for us!
The CREER project aims to share knowledge within the community. As part of this goal, the Electrical Project Team organized a week-long course to train twenty students on installing the PV system. The students’ tasks included connecting solar panels, batteries, lighting fixtures, cell phone chargers, and computer charging ports. Nine of them received certificates for attending 100% of the classes. These students are now responsible for maintaining, inspecting, and diagnosing the system and, if possible, repairing it to ensure it continues to work effectively.
The basic electronic concepts of DC voltage circuits, the CREER PV system parts, and the function of each component were discussed daily. More important was to put hands on the tools and wires, connect lighting, check loads and circuits, how to connect and disconnect the system properly, and the safety concerns while verifying the life of the solar panels and the system. We installed four 400W panels with two panels in series and each set of two panels in parallel. This system has the potential for expansion, and it is robust and capable by far of meeting the community’s needs.
The Educational Resources Center in Rincon committee met on the final work day with EWB-DC to inaugurate the electrical system in service and the new furniture. They also gave out certificates of attendance to the students, planned the volunteer librarians’ work, and chose a possible date for the formal inauguration of the building in 2025, when EWB-DC must return to do the project assessment.
The Structure and Electrical projects to fulfill the partnership agreement with the Hato Rincón community are complete. The Educational Resources Center in Rincon is functional and has autonomous energy power. Schoolchildren or any other user can now enjoy a public study/meeting place that is equivalent to the facilities in the closest town.
We acknowledge and align our goals with the community’s aspiration for greater respect for Ngöbe culture and language, improved educational achievements, and increased access to information and technology. In the future, implementing a computer network with Wi-Fi and internet access will contribute to fulfilling these objectives.