Solar energy allows village to have access to electricity for the first time

A Pixaim quilombola community, in Piaçabuçu, in the interior of the State of Alagoas, waited more than 100 years due to the arrival of electrical energy in the town, which is the last territory bathed by the waters of the São Francisco River. 

In this second semester, the problem was anyway sorted out with the installation of solar energy systems with batteries. Throughout the history of the municipality, its inhabitants have always had lamps and the valley as their main sources of light at night. 

The actions are part of the E+Solar Communities project, from the Equatorial Alagoas. The program benefits vulnerable families with the implementation of photovoltaic systems.

In addition to the arrival of lighting, the dealership also donated new refrigerators, which allow residents to store food and drink cold water, for example. The donation is the result of a partnership with ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency).

In 2005, Pixaim was certified as a quilombo remnant by the Palmares Cultural Foundation. Currently, 43 families live there. 

Quality of life

With the arrival of electrical energy generated from photovoltaic systems, the community is still getting used to day-to-day situations, like having light bulbs on and a refrigerator at home.

One of the beneficiaries of the photovoltaic project is the fisherman Edilson dos Santos. A resident of the community for 14 years, he talks about the difficulties he always had in storing food and the anticipation of the arrival of electricity in the community.

“I lost a lot of product due to the difficulty of storing it and often I didn’t even have money to buy ice. Our product ended up losing its value because it wasn't fresh. But now with the arrival of energy it will be different, we will have more value in fish, which is our source of income”, he said.

Alexandra Sales, is another resident who will benefit from the project. She says that she lived without the expectation of having energy in the community and that hobbies, such as watching simple television, for example, were a distant reality for him and the entire family.

 “My children and grandchildren are having the opportunity to watch a cartoon for the first time. It's something inexplicable. You have no idea how happy we are feeling right now,” she said.