SolarAid has sold its millionth solar light to families living without electricity in rural Africa.
The company’s social enterprise arm, SunnyMoney, brings clean, safe and affordable lighting to homes that would otherwise have to burn costly and harmful kerosene. The business-based charity says it has now set the foundations for an emerging solar market that aims to provide access to life-changing technology for the 110 million households in Africa currently living without electricity.
CEO Steve Andrews said: “In the last year, we have worked closely with teachers who act as solar advocates to raise awareness, instil trust and create channels for solar lights to be purchased in rural villages. Once people see a neighbour’s light shining bright, demand grows. We then engage local agents to stock and sell solar products”.
Shop-keeper Sally Kayoni in Bomet, Kenya who now sells over 200 solar lights each month said: “After I started selling these [solar lights]… there was no one asking for kerosene anymore”.
Kerosene lamps add significantly to global carbon emissions and are also expensive and harmful to those who use them. With one million solar lights already sold, an estimated $235,000 is being saved by families every day and children are gaining 3 million extra hours of study time every night.
SolarAid chairman Jeremy Leggett said: “SunnyMoney’s soaring sales are by no means a job done. But they sets us on our path to proving an alternative to the fossil fuel dependency that damages our planet whilst locking millions into a cycle of poverty.
“Now SolarAid and SunnyMoney have reached this milestone of one million solar lights, company founders can see how powerful this kind of business-based aid can be. I hope they will be inspired to copy us. The world would be a much better place if they did, in numbers. We hope that our business model for tackling climate change and poverty can set a precedent worldwide.”
