2023 was literally a year of lights and shadows for the residents of Hornitos Cove. It started without electrical supply, with all the problems that brings to the daily lives of families relying on artisanal fishing. However, it ended with joy after the installation of solar panels that will provide 1800 W of power to 73 families in the area.
The solar kits are part of an agreement between the Hornitos Neighborhood Board and the Luksic family, who finalized the installation during the last months of the past year.
January 14, 2023, marked the last day of electricity for the cove. Since then, they lived in darkness, uncertainty, and a few hours of light thanks to generators that the families had to finance with their own resources. But everything started to change when the Neighborhood Board contacted the Luksic family: a field visit was made in May, an agreement was signed in August, and in the last months of the year, solar panels were installed providing vital electricity to 37 houses and 73 families in the cove.
“One of my grandchildren, the 12-year-old, told me a few days ago: I’m happy, now I have light, I can watch TV, I can do my homework, and I don’t have to get up at 6 in the morning to start the engine. Just like an elderly neighbor, who one day called me in tears because she didn’t even have a generator and had to wait for a neighbor to lend her electricity. So the emotions for this community with the installation of the panels have been tremendous, and we are all very grateful,” said Gelda Ábalos, president of the Neighborhood Board.
José Torres, leader of the artisanal fishermen, mentioned, “We spent a lot of money on getting generators. For that reason, we are very grateful because we went from having 7 or 8 hours of light and electricity only around 4 in the afternoon to having light 24 hours a day.”
“We hope that this contribution will boost the development of Hornitos Cove and the quality of life for the families in this community. It is an honor to make this contribution, and we are pleased that the neighbors now have electric light in their homes,” said Isabella Luksic, CEO of Luksic Foundation.
For Cristina Birrell, Executive Director of Fundación Te Apoyamos of Andrónico Luksic, “It is a great joy to see how the lives of the residents of the cove have changed. We saw their urgency when they had almost no light, and now we notice how their lives have changed with the installation of these solar panels. We are very happy because all generations of the Luksic family have always been very connected to Hornitos.”
