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Solar Philanthropies Lighting Up the World to End Poverty

Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) reached its first milestone of raising $5,000 to install solar-powered pumps in order to provide a village in Benin with clean and safe drinking water. Now that SELF has secured its spot on GlobalGiving’s list of permanent partners, the organization is on a mission to raise an additional $12,000 in order to complete the project. Please consider donating $15 to provide clean water to one family. Click HERE to donate. There are a lot of solar philanthropies giving back in the world right now!

In celebration of SELF’s success and inspiring mission, Exact Solar would like to give a round of applause to a few other non-profits that are working to light up the world with clean energy. Solar is more than a solution to relying on dirty fossil fuels—it is also a tool that can lift people from poverty. When choosing a philanthropy to support, consider donating to organizations that are spreading solar!

  1. Akon Lighting Africa is spearheaded by a R&B and hip-hop recording artist. Inspired by his poorly lit childhood in Africa, Akon has made it his mission to light up the lives of the millions of Africans who are living without electricity. The organization partners with African banks and solar installers in order to install solar panels and the light needed to eliminate dangerous kerosene lamps. Thanks to solar, children no longer have to spend hours collecting firewood, and can instead do their schoolwork long after the sun goes down.
  2. Solar Sister specifically works to eliminate energy poverty in Africa through empowering women. The organization has created a network of female entrepreneurs who take on selling solar for extra income and the betterment of their communities. The women sell solar powered lamps and energy efficient stoves that cut down on indoor air pollution, while simultaneously empowering women to be more independent.
  3. WE CARE Solar is providing emergency medical relief around the world with its Solar Suitcase, a portable box equipped with efficient lighting, small medical devices, and the ability to charge mobile devices and laptops. Solar Suitcases allow professionals to provide medical assistance if power has been disrupted by a natural disaster, or to give birth to a beautiful baby in a remote village late at night.
  4. Solar is even being used to fight poverty in America. Grid Alternatives is a California-based non-profit that is installing solar panels in low-income neighborhoods in their localized effort to end poverty. Solar allows families to cut their energy costs and use their income for healthier food or education.

Solar has long been seen as a luxury of the wealthy, but these non-profits prove that life is all about perspective. In reality, fossil fuels are the luxury. The power of the sun is boundless and will only become less expensive, while the opposite can be said for oil and other fossil fuels as they are depleted. It’s time to change your perspective. Stop wasting your money on ever-increasing electric bills, take advantage of the 30 percent tax incentive in the United States, and go solar with Exact Solar. Please consider donating to one of these solar philanthropies!

Written by Sarah Bergen. Sarah is a writer and editor from New Jersey. She enjoys writing about environmental issues, sustainability, and health. She can be reached at [email protected].

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