Solar Aid
End the Darkness for 107,900 people
This year’s Christmas Challenge kicks off SolarAid’s new strategy to End the Darkness. We are working towards lighting up every home, school and clinic in Africa by 2030, using safe, clean, solar power. No one should be left in the dark. You can help us to End the Darkness for 107,900 people.
It ran from 12:00 PM, 30 November 2021 to 12:00 PM, 7 December 2021
Registered Charity in England and Wales (1115960)
Match funded Campaign target
£80,000
Amount raised
£81,838
Donations
247
Championed by Helen and Michael Brown Charitable Trust
Location
Multiple locations
Campaign overview
Aims
Where's the money going?
Impact & reporting
Situation
548 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity. This forces people across the continent to cut their day short at around 6pm, with many relying on expensive, toxic and dangerous lighting sources such as candles and kerosene lamps. Latest official projections are that by 2030, over 600 million people will be left in the dark. Our mission is to light up every home, school and clinic in Africa by 2030, using safe, clean, solar power.
Solution
SolarAid provides access to affordable solar lights in the most remote and disadvantaged communities in Malawi and Zambia to create sustainable markets for renewable energy, so that everyone can access clean, safe solar lighting and power. Through our social enterprise SunnyMoney, our trade-not-aid approach has reached 11m people, but this is not enough. We are now launching innovations designed to reach the poorest to ensure that by 2030 no home, no school and no clinic is left in the dark.
“A lot of things have changed [thanks to the solar light]; the house is brighter and the children are happy.”
— Weakness Mwenelupembe in Malawi
“Performance of my children at school is now good; school work is simple now to do at night, [before] my children were not studying.”
— J Longwe in Malawi
“I am extremely grateful for the lighting provided as I have delivered many babies by torch light and using the phone light.”
— Esther Sakala, Head Nurse at Chipembi Rural Health Clinic
“We live a happy life now when darkness comes because we are able to light our home for a long time [with our solar light].”
— Sithembile Kasambala, Karonga, Malawi