The Church Helps Bring Solar Power to Navajo Nation Families

As the solar set every night within the Navajo Nation, Colynn Begay used a small battery-powered mild to assist her 5 sons end homework, put together snacks and prepare for mattress. On its brightest setting, the sunshine typically lasted solely 20 minutes.

“Life is so challenging because I have no electricity,” mentioned Begay, a single mom. “When this light goes out for me, I have no way to see to get my kids ready or prepare their school clothes the night before. Even walking into the kitchen, I cannot see in there, so I would just have to use my phone [light]. And my kids can’t do their homework because we have no light at night. So I usually try to do their homework with them the moment they get back from school.”

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Begay’s household lives about half-hour exterior Chinle, Arizona. Across the Navajo Nation, roughly 14,000 properties lack entry to electrical energy. Like many households, day by day life revolved round daylight, together with driving to kinfolk’ properties to cost gadgets, and touring an hour spherical journey every evening simply to eat out as a result of that they had neither a fridge nor a range.

That modified in early March 2026 when her dwelling obtained a solar energy system by means of a collaboration between Heart of America, a nationwide schooling nonprofit, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In current years, the Church has supported efforts to increase entry to electricity and water in distant Navajo Nation communities, working alongside tribal, state and nonprofit collaborators.

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Meeting a Foundational Need

Heart of America works with native faculty districts to establish households with Okay–12 college students that lack electrical energy. The group has put in photo voltaic methods in tons of of properties throughout the Navajo Nation, specializing in academic stability and scholar well-being.

“The opportunity for us to provide students and their families with electricity and power at home really is a game changer,” mentioned Heart of America President and CEO Jill Heath. “We focus on making sure the student has what he or she needs to succeed — the ability to do homework after the sun sets, the ability to read, to connect with family. However, that’s just the beginning.”

After studying of the necessity and visiting the realm, the Church joined with Heart of America to fund photo voltaic installations for an additional 100 student-family properties. In whole, Heart of America has now helped greater than 450 such properties throughout the Navajo Nation. The Church’s assist additionally helps present transportable lighting in addition to age‑applicable academic and enrichment supplies for households.

“We were thrilled, we were overjoyed, and started planning immediately,” Heath mentioned. “When this grant came along, and the Church so generously said, ‘We want to help provide more students with electricity and power,’ we knew that this was going to be a great collaboration.”

Power That Changes Daily Life

Each photo voltaic equipment consists of rooftop panels, batteries, lighting, a cost controller, an inverter and a refrigeration unit. Together, the methods present dependable energy for lighting, meals storage and important gadgets, changing short-term options corresponding to fuel-powered mills and battery lights.

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“We hear stories of students doing better in school because they can do their homework after dark,” mentioned Lian Mah, who has labored on set up groups for a number of years. “We hear of stories of students who can keep their medicine in the refrigerator now. They don’t have to store it at a neighbor’s house. To keep their food cold, [some families] would literally freeze a gallon of water at a neighbor’s house, bring it over every day, put it in their cooler to try and keep their food cold. And now they have fresh food in their house 24-7 because of this, which is just amazing.”

Eugene Gorman, a father of three within the Red Valley neighborhood, mentioned his household relied on mills for years, typically spending important quantities on gasoline. He mentioned the photo voltaic system will assist scale back these prices and ease monetary pressure.

“This solar will help us a lot,” Gorman mentioned. “We’ll be able to spend money in different places for our kids now instead of just worrying about electricity all the time. We’ll have comfort now. I really appreciate you coming out and doing this for us.”

Installation groups can usually full a photo voltaic setup in about an hour, offering long-term entry to electrical energy and alternative.

“This is a force multiplier,” Heath mentioned. “It’s elevating opportunities with education, with basic body and mind health, and really enabling multiple generations to thrive.”

Flipping the Switch on Opportunity

For Begay, the affect was instant.

“My kids get to do their homework [at night],” she mentioned. “We have lights. We get to charge our laptops. We get to charge our phones and tablets. I get to wake up in the morning, turning on the light instead of using my phone. I’m very happy. I’m filled with joy and love. I’m very thankful for all of you.”

Heath mentioned faculties have seen enhancements in attendance, engagement and tutorial focus amongst college students whose properties obtain electrical energy.

“The home is where you should feel the most stable, the home is where you should feel the most safe,” Heath mentioned. “You [should] have all the basic needs covered, so that when you do go to school you can focus on learning.”

Once put in, the photo voltaic challenge’s which means turns into clear, Heath added.

“Once the solar kit is in place, you flip the switch on — but it’s flipping the switch on not just to light but to opportunity,” she mentioned.