“The church has sadly never got any electricity or light to work. We can’t have our Bible studies,” said Pastor Raymond. His church is in a remote area in Plateau State, Nigeria.
For many isolated Christian villages in Nigeria, this is their reality. Many communities don’t have access to electricity, and don’t even have power lines nearby. Others depend on petrol generators – assuming they can afford the fuel to run them for more than an hour or two every few weeks.
Communication with anyone outside their village is almost impossible, as people can’t charge their phones. The only way they can charge them is to collect up their devices and send someone to travel to the nearest village with a petrol generator. Should an Islamist attack happen or if someone falls ill, they have no means of calling for help.
Pastor Raymond conveys his thanks to Barnabas supporters for their gifts which have funded the installation of solar panels in the church, giving his Christian village in Plateau State, Nigeria access to electricity.
Like Pastor Raymond’s church, many congregations cannot hold evening services. Children aren’t able do their schoolwork without light. Even the most basic of tasks are tough, if not impossible, when night falls.
Those who can afford to do so buy candles or fuel for kerosene lanterns, but these can result in fires that damage property or even claim lives.
Can you imagine living like this?
Transforming Christian communities through sustainable energy
Nigeria, like many African countries, is rich in sunlight. Thanks to the generosity of Barnabas Aid supporters, many Christian villages and communities are being empowered through solar panels to harness the power of Nigeria’s abundant sunlight.
“We would never be able to buy these solar panels to get the light we need in the church. Even if we saved for 20 years,” continued Pastor Raymond as he marvelled at the Barnabas-funded solar panels installed on his church building. They now have light and power to sustain their congregation and community.
A team installing Barnabas-funded solar panels in a Christian village in Plateau State. Can you help provide sustainable energy for more believers?
The installation of these solar panels is helping to support believers beyond simply turning on lights. Our brothers and sisters can now power computers and monitors where available for education, charge phones for communication, and even pump water from boreholes. And they can praise the Lord and be uplifted and encouraged by Bible studies long into the evening.
Pastor Raymond conveys his thanks to everyone who has made this happen. “To the people of God who supported Barnabas with the funds, we pray that the Lord will bless you… Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Can you help us empower more remote Christian villages in Nigeria through providing sustainable energy?
How you can help
£12 ($14; €13) could provide an AC or DC surge protector for a Christian village in Nigeria
£40 ($48; €44) could provide all the various cabling needed to install solar panels for a village
£70 ($84; €77) could provide one 250w solar panel
Ten gifts of £82 ($98; €90) could fund the entire installation of solar panels for a church building or community hall in a village
