2021 Lenten Snapshots
During the 2021 Lenten season, we’ll share the work of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur from around the world. We hope you in turn will share their work with your family, friends, students and faculty. If you are interested in the Lenten Handout, please click here. Click here for the Lenten prayer card.
LENTEN SNAPSHOT #1
In Pelende, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the refurbishment of the electrical system is now complete and the operation of the Photovoltaic system is fully restored.
In 2010, solar panels were installed on the convent roof and were recently moved to a ground array to allow for future expansion. The original lead-acid batteries were replaced with efficient, long-lasting lithium-ion storage batteries that require little to no maintenance. Electricity needed for light, refrigeration, communication and water pumping and purification is now coming online.
The next phase of the project is the restoration of the village water system. A new supply system will be constructed with water pumped from the source to the original storage tanks that will be cleaned and repaired. The water will then flow through a purification system and ultimately to multiple distribution points in the village; to the Sisters' schools, convent and prenatal clinic; and to the Jesuit's school. The project is projected to be complete in 2021.
We have kids [in Pelende] still walking around with buckets on their heads, and you can't purify water in buckets. The labor cost of getting water to families is just incredible. Sister Lorraine Connell, General Treasurer, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur