Every Light Has a Story

There is power when women come together. Mayi Walas, Margret and Sagurani, know this first hand. From creating thriving sustainable businesses to building relationships with other women in the community, solar lights change everything.

Sagurani Friday is no stranger to hard work and when the opportunity to start her own solar business arrived, she took it. Working together with a group of women has transformed her life and business.

Both Esnart’s and Teleza’s families lack access to electricity hindering their ability to realise their dreams. But, with a light library at their school, everything is changing.

Without access to light, Dalitso struggled to do his homework. But, with a solar light, everything changed.

Fabriola's bright smile lights up room as she speaks about how life has changed since her school received a Light Library. Her hopes and dreams are illuminated.

Kesilina knows the dangers that darkness pose. She nearly lost everything to a housefire, but without access to light, she had little choice to choose an alternative. With solar, her life changed.

John January lost everything to a housefire and had to start anew. With his family by his side, he choose never to use dangerous light again. When solar came to his village, everything changed.

For Goodwell, education is everything. He wants to offer all opportunities to his children to create the lives they dream of. With solar, this became possible.

40 years after John lost his home to a fire, hope was restored. Solar was coming to his village.

For Margaret, business was tough. She lost customers and income because she was unable to sell at night. But, with a solar light, everything changed.

About 75% of health clinics in sub- Saharan Africa lack access to reliable electricity. Mtimabii Health Clinic in Mangochi, rural Malawi was one of these. But those dark nights are now a thing of the past at Mtimabii and Baby Diana is the last baby will be born in the dark.

William Chris Banda, 33, is the head teacher at Chiko 2 School in a small village in rural Malawi. The lack of electricity in William’s village affects students and teachers alike. It makes it difficult for teachers to prepare for class and causes students to lose crucial studying hours.

For Percy, life revolves around community. Without light, it was difficult for him to connect and serve his neighbours. His solar light has created a safe place for his community to gather.

At Chiko 2 School in Ntchisi, Malawi , a group of new CSRs of all ages gathered to begin their journey of working with SunnyMoney. Within the four walls of the brightly coloured classroom, the Light a Village training began. Each CSR would learn the part they would play in ending the darkness.

Olivia Chivita is a patient at Chipembi Rural Health clinic in Zambia. Like most rural clinics in Zambia, Chipembi is lacking access to stable electricity. Solar home systems have now been installed to light up the clinic, and solar rechargeable medical equipment has been delivered. Olivia, who is pregnant with her second child can now for the first time hear her baby with the help of the solar powered foetal doppler.

School closures due to COVID-19 are hitting the most vulnerable children in Malawi hard. Radio lessons have been developed but the widespread energy poverty means a lot of students are lacking radios in their homes. Solar light radios can help students keep up with their education.

Dalitso Judith Kudala says she has seen Mandevu village transform since Project Switch, a solar energy hub, was launched.

St Luke’s Hospital is located in rural Zambia. When the sun sets, the doctors and nurses can perform life saving procedures knowing they have access to solar lights. But Sister Martha remembers a time before that.

Since a Light Library was introduced at the school in the rural village of Nyakantingi in Zambia, Ms. Michelo has started to notice a difference.

At 7 pm each night, Derrick sits down to study for an hour and a half, with the solar light he has borrowed from the recently opened school Light Library. Since he got access to a solar light, he's become one of the best students in his school. Derrick now dreams of becoming a teacher.