February 7, 2020
Today the House approved an earthquake relief package for Puerto Rico, but the White House opposes releasing the funds. Meanwhile the island is still awaiting billions of dollars in aid approved for reconstruction after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Puerto Rico has experienced hundreds of aftershocks since the 6.4 magnitude earthquake that shook the island on January 7th and caused an island-wide power outage. This is compounding existing damage from the devastating Hurricanes Maria and Irma that still hasn’t been adequately addressed. Maria caused the largest blackout in US history (second largest in the world!) and it took 11 months to restore power. This sequence of natural disasters and inadequate responses highlight the need for off-grid power.
Light Reach’s solar lighting kits provide an immediate solution to communities experiencing light poverty: they are rapidly deployable and easy to install. In the event of a hurricane, one kit allows a community to distribute 50 portable lights to families, and to shelter and immediately re-install 10 flood lights and 5 pole lights.
Together, we can do a lot. Help us bring resilient and sustainable lighting solutions to Puerto Rican communities. Please contact us to become a project sponsor, and donate: https://lightreach.net/donate/
