Priests and religious Sisters in Lebanon are grateful for the solar panels donated by a Catholic charity, which have helped them cope with high energy costs in the midst of an ongoing economic crisis. The local Church emphasizes the importance of renewable energy systems in light of the prohibitive costs of basic necessities like electricity in Lebanon and Syria.
Sister Yaout from the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family in Lebanon shared, “The state provides one or two hours of electricity a day, but it is very expensive. We used to have to pay a subscription to the generator, which cost us $30 [£24], plus expenses of between $300 [£240] and $400 [£320] – but now with the solar panels it is down to $6 [£4.80], and for the autumn months it was nothing at all, so we have saved a lot.”
The Sisters’ orphanage in Jezzine, southern Lebanon, now benefits from electricity generated by solar panels, thanks to support from ACN. The local Church reports that the economic crisis has severely impacted their activities, preventing them from carrying out pastoral programs due to high costs of heating and food storage.
As part of a support package over the last two years, ACN has provided solar panels for the Church in Lebanon and Syria, benefiting numerous religious congregations, parishes, schools, convents, and seminaries in the region. Father Pierre Jabbour from the Maronite Patriarchal Seminary in Ghazir expressed gratitude for the solar panel system, which has helped them reduce their annual fuel bill.
Despite the challenges faced by Lebanon, Father Jabbour remains hopeful, stating, “Thanks to the help of your generous donors, the seminarians were able to follow their formation courses and carry out their missionary activities in complete serenity, despite the circumstances surrounding Lebanon.”
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