Help for a missionary

From the sun in the heart to solar power

Alfred and Maria Gundacker, Josef Heiß and Manfred Laister with Sister Karina Beneder (center)(Bild: zVg)

In Peru, Franciscan nun Karina Beneder from Kollmitzberg in the Amstetten district is committed to helping the poorest. Four helpers from her old homeland have now supported her in the installation of photovoltaic systems.

She always has sunshine in her heart - and gives hope to many. In future, Sister Karina Beneder will also be able to generate electricity from solar power for her protégés in the slums of Lima. This has been made possible thanks to funding from the state of Lower Austria. And on the other hand, four dedicated helpers who traveled to the distant Andean country of Peru to lend a hand with the installation of the photovoltaic systems.

Memories of the old homeland
Alfred and Maria Gundacker and Manfred Laister from the Waldviertel region, together with Josef Heiß from the Mostviertel region, supported the nun in her tireless efforts. They also brought memories of their old homeland to Sister Karina. Beneder comes from Kollmitberg in the Amstetten district and worked as a teacher in Zwettl for a long time before she was drawn to Peru as a missionary.

A number of technical hurdles had to be overcome during assembly(Bild: zVg)

Technical tinkering
The quartet - including two qualified electricians - spent a month there in the service of a good cause. Three PV systems were installed. Which was not so easy: "Peru is not yet up to European standards when it comes to solar energy, so it took some technical tinkering," report the helpers. In addition, a plastic recycling plant was set up and tables and benches were built for Sister Karina's school "Santa Bernardita" in northern Peru.

All good things come from above - namely God's blessing and clean energy in the form of solar power. We support that.

Stephan Pernkopf, Landeshauptfrau-Stellvertreter 

Country supports project
The work of the Franciscan nun from Lower Austria also impressed Stephan Pernkopf, Vice Minister of the Province of Lower Austria. After reading about the photovoltaic project in the Andes in the "Krone" newspaper, he organized state funding for the solar power system, for which Sister Karina expressed her heartfelt thanks.