Solar Repair Project

The Challenge

At Malvern Child & Youth Care Centre we provide a temporary safe haven and care for 77 children who've been removed from harmful situations. Our mission is to make their stay as homely as possible, with programs for education, recreation, and emotional support. But right now, our solar power system – essential for keeping costs down amid rising electricity bills – has a serious DC insulation fault. This means:

• Potential safety risks like electrical hazards.
• Inefficient energy, leading to reliance on expensive grid power (monthly bills up to R180,000).
• Disruptions to daily life: No lights for homework, no power for cooking nutritious meals, and added stress in an already challenging environment.

Without repairs, we're forced to divert precious funds from food, toiletries, and child programs to cover escalating utility costs. We rely on community donations to feed 77 children and staff daily, and this fault is draining our resources.