Download - Siemens Pakistan

Light for Life
Life in Sharda Maidan lights up
Their faces light up with smiles as children of village Sharda Maidan pose before one of the
solar panels that brought light to their lives.
Among the snow capped mountains in Azad Kashmir is the
village Sharda Maidan. Practically cut off from the world. The
travel time to village Sharda Maidan from Muzaffarabad (Capital
of Azad Kashmir) is 8 hours drive on Jeep-able road and 1 hour
hiking. The nearest telephone facility is in Tehsil Athmaquam,
which is at a distance of 4 hours drive from Tehsil Sharda. Close
by is the rural health centre and the mother and child centre. It
is a village of 40 families. The young and old in these families had
never enjoyed the facility of electricity that most of the world takes
for granted. Not until one fine day when the lights were switched
on in this remotest corner of Azad Kashmir. Siemens solar energy
project had brought light in the life of these people. A commodity
that they had never imagined they would posses and now the
young and old were expressing their delight at the magic of
light in this wilderness.
Speaking to a PTV (National Television) reporter a young man
recounted the irritation to his eyes with the burning of oil lamps
while he studied before this solar miracle happened in their
village. Now he says he can read books, say his prayers and
read the Quran in the bright light provided by bulbs running
on solar energy. The savings in wood and oil is an added benefit
that helps the poor people of this village. It is the same story in
the nearby rural health centre and mother and child centre. An
official of the centre talking to PTV said that now patients can be
treated twenty four hours a day and equipments like Nebulisers
can be used effectively.
Sharda Maidan is the first of such villages
to be powered by Solar.
This program will be extended to as many
more villages as the funds allow and Siemens will continue
its efforts to brighten the life of these people and give
them a ray of hope for the future.
After the disastrous earthquake in Northern Areas, we
received donation from Siemens companies, their
employees and from Siemens Germany to help the
earthquake victims.
A committee was formed to propose a project that would
best benefit the people of this devastated area. Many
suggestions were considered including providing generating
sets or kiosk sub stations but in the end it was decided that
for this program to be meaningful and long term and for it
not to become a burden on the local people we should install
Solar Energy for the villages. A typical village was selected
and the basis of that selection was that the village will not
have any electrical energy so far and in the near future there
is no possibility that it can get electrical energy from Utility.
The model village selected was Sharda Maidan. The village
has 40 families residing in it who have never enjoyed the
facility of electricity that most of the world takes for granted.
In addition to the village the rural health centre and the mother
and child centre have also been hooked up to solar power by
Siemens.
It was a Herculean task to transport the solar panels, batteries
and allied equipment to this remote outpost of Kashmir but
Dr. Suhail Qureshi of Siemens and his team worked hard to
complete the model project that will serve as the benchmark
for further such projects in the area. An interesting thing is
that since Dr. Qureshi is a qualified medical doctor he used
his visits for installation of the solar panels to also lend a
hand at the rural health centre endearing him to the local
population who now hold him and Siemens in great esteem.
An everlasting bond built between the company and the
people that will for ever light the lives of these simple village
people.
Dr. Suhail Qureshi and his team during installation.
Elders of the village proudly pose before the solar panel.
Siemens Pakistan had launched the “Light for Life” program
after the devastating earthquake in October 2005. Contributions
from Siemens companies in the region and the head office had
poured in under the umbrella of “Siemens Caring Hands”
program the Siemens global NGO for disaster relief. It was
decided to launch a sustainable and environment friendly
program that would bring light into the darkness that had
enveloped the lives of these unfortunate people after the quake.
Transporting batteries for the system to this remote area
was a Herculean task.
Village elders and local elite at the soft opening of
the system.
Patients at the rural health centre
can now be treated
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twenty four hours a day.
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