Lighting up the way for sustainable power

Our world today is dominated by readily available power at our fingertips. But believe it or not, in 2023, around 746 million people globally still do not have access to on demand electricity. 

Areal image of Cerro Azul

Located deep in the heart of Costa Rica is Cerro Azul, an indigenous community established nearly 75 years ago. Due to the region’s remote location, access to stable power was a major challenge for the locals.

In 2022, the Compassionate Eye Foundation (CEF), dedicated to supporting sustainable development for small communities, collaborated with Students Offering Support (SOS), a Toronto based organization passionate about improving the quality of education in underserved communities of Latin America.

Students in Cerro Azul

Sustainable development encouraging brighter days

Between July and December 2022, CEF volunteers along with Students Offering Support to install Solar Photovoltaic technology – a renewable power source that converts sunlight into electricity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. 

Technology arriving at Cerro Azul

This technology provided the Cerro Azul community with reliable, on-demand electricity, which gave the residents the power to refrigerate their food, use light bulbs and charge their electronic devices without worrying about electricity running out at any given moment.

Following this, the arrival of satellite internet transformed the learning experience for the 45 students of Cerro Azul. Teachers now had complete access to the Costa Rican government’s online study material which ultimately helped students who fell behind during the pandemic.

Children watching a movie on the projector installed in the classroom.

Study hard, play hard – students watching Rambo over a projected screen in class. 000

The Compassionate Eye Foundation is thankful to Students Offering Support along with its private donors and partnership with Getty Images. With their ongoing support, CEF continues to support communities like Cerro Azul.

About the Compassionate Eye FoundatioN

At the Compassionate Eye Foundation, we bring creative professionals from around the world to collaborate on photo shoots. The photographs are available as stock images for purchase – these proceeds directly fund our various community development projects. 

Learn more about our impact and how you can help.