How Darsh Tibrewala's solar initiative helped Hyderabad orphanage

Hyderabad: Darsh Tibrewala, a class 10 student at Oakridge International School in Hyderabad, started ‘Project HOPES’ to support orphanages around Hyderabad. The aim is to help underprivileged students become contributing members of society and global citizens.

He has raised funds and donated a solar panel system to an orphanage in Rajendranagar, providing children with a reliable and sustainable source of energy. Renewable energy is beneficial for the environment and provides a sustainable source of power for the home. This project will reduce the cost of electricity and create a safer and more reliable power source for the children. It is a 10KWp solar rooftop panel that produces green energy for Rs. 7.75 lakhs. The solar panels are procured from Tata Power and installed by KehanSri Solar.

The initial power consumption before the solar panel was installed was 1,800 units per month and the power bill was rupees Rs. 15,000 per month. Now, the number of units consumed has decreased to 500 and the bill is reduced to Rs. 4,500 per month, a 66% reduction.

The panel was installed last week at the orphanage. It powers lights, appliances, and other essential equipment, reducing the orphanage’s reliance on traditional power sources and freeing up resources that can be used to help the children. It is expected to save the orphanage Rs. 1 lakh every year, with projected savings over 20 years of Rs. 22 to 27 lakhs and 3 lakh units of power consumption. The amount saved is an amount earned and Rs. 1 lakh saved a year is not small.

“It is an investment not only in a monetary sense but investment in our future, our lives, and our earth. The sun is a free, sustainable, clean resource we can leverage in place of conventional electricity to power our lives. The idea for the project came to me after I saw the orphanage, where I learned about how eager and excited the students there are to learn. I have always believed that we have a responsibility to give back to our communities and to help as many people as we can. When I learned about the challenges facing the orphanage, I knew that I had to help them,” said Darsh.

Over the last four years, he has been visiting many orphanages in Hyderabad and teaching them several different important life skills such as hygiene and health.

Darsh’s donation of a solar panel system to the orphanage has shown that it is possible to make a real difference in the world. The initiative will also help teach Darsh’s peers and orphanage students the importance of community service, which helps children define their values, experience empathy, develop social skills, and learn about their community.