Dear Friends,
My name is Gianna Aubrey Cesa.
I live on the island of Hilotongan in the Philippines, a small community of about 2,500 people where life revolves around fishing. Unfortunately, the challenges we face are immense. Our island struggles with limited access to electricity and clean water, relying on portable fossil fuel generators.
Every year, rising fuel costs make it harder for our fishermen to make a living. Each fishing trip consumes four liters of gasoline, and with only around $5 in earnings per trip, half of their income goes towards fuel. This unsustainable cycle threatens both our livelihood and our ocean.
While working with Dark Sky Innovative Solutions founder, Bob Tipton, I discovered a solution to our problem: SE-banca. Thanks to the innovative ideas from the Oro Azul Project Team, we can tackle these challenges head-on. We call our fishing boats bancas and we are converting them to Solar Electric engines (SE-Bancas.) The SE-Banca project aims to revolutionize fishing on our island by replacing fossil fuels with solar energy on 500 bancas. By doing so, we can save fishermen 50% on fuel costs while also reducing harmful emissions that damage our ocean.
The savings from using the sun will pay for the equipment in about a year, but the purchase cost is about one year's income for my people. By using a cooperative renting approach, we can grow the program very fast - but we cannot afford the initial equipment without your help.
By your donation, we can buy the necessary equipment and begin building our SE-Bancas. With your support, we can empower our community and protect our marine environment. Together, we can create a sustainable future for Hilotongan, the Philippines and the world, ensuring a better life for both our people and our ocean.
Please join us in making global changes beginning with our small island!
Thank you for your generosity.
Aubrey Cesa and Bob Tipton
Organizer
Bob Tipton
Organizer
Framingham, MA