Accountant Carolina Lopez Garcia has recently returned from the ACCIONA international volunteering program in Peru’s Cajamarca region.

Proyecto Centro Luz en Casa (Project Home Light Centre) delivers innovative electricity services to households in Cajamarca, a region identified in 2009 as having Peru’s highest poverty rates and lowest levels of electrification. With the program still running 17 years later, Carolina’s role was to help maintain reliable electricity for households beyond the grid.

Volunteering with acciona.org

Proyecto Centro Luz en Casa is one of the many volunteering opportunities offered at ACCIONA. The Energy and Water Foundation, run by acciona.org, encourages employees to volunteer their time and expertise to improve access to energy, water and sanitation across Peru, Mexico, Panama, Chile, Ethiopia, the Philippines and Spain. Carolina had followed the opportunities for several years but has been unable to persuade her colleagues to join her. When a change to the program offered the option to volunteer with a family member, Carolina was soon off to Peru with her partner, Diego.

“I had wanted to do it for a long time,” Carolina said.

“I tried to convince people at work to come with me, but no one wanted to. Now that I’ve been, everybody wants to go!”

Checking solar systems in remote communities

After landing in Cajamarca, there was little time for easing into the experience. On their first morning, Carolina and the other volunteers travelled some two hours away, directly into the communities of Chectarume and Cebadin to begin checking solar systems installed the previous week.

Each inspection involved checking that the solar panel faced north to capture the most energy, measuring the system’s voltage and inspecting the battery, regulator, wiring, switches and three household lights. Any faults were photographed and recorded for local technicians to repair upon their return.

“I liked that they don’t simply install something and leave,” Carolina said.

“They go back, check that everything is working properly and make sure people have the best possible service.”

Working days sometimes lasted 12 hours, with the team inspecting between 20 and 30 homes before the sun set. The conditions highlighted the commitment of technicians who were required to transport 20-kilogram panels and 40-kilogram batteries across the mountains.

“Sometimes in an office role, it can be difficult to see exactly what you are achieving.

This was hands-on. You could see and feel the difference.”

A lasting difference for families

For families, reliable lighting supports cooking, reading, work and safe movements after dark. Residents welcomed Carolina and the team into their homes, sharing food and explaining how home electricity had improved daily life.

“They were so grateful and so happy to see us,” Carolina stated. “They thanked us for coming back to check the system.”

On the final day, she helped organise equipment for upcoming works in Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon.

Carolina returned to her team with a renewed appreciation for how acciona.org combines technical expertise with long-term community support. Her experience shows how employee volunteering can create a visible, lasting difference for families while giving employees a stronger sense of purpose in their own work.