The Program

Safe Births + Healthy Homes

Working with local partners, Safe Births + Healthy Homes (SB+HH) solar-electrifies off-grid health clinics and donates solar lights to new moms and babies for use at home. Nearly 20,000 mother/baby pairs have participated in this program.

 

Read our 2023 Maternal and Infant Health Report here.

Innovation and impact in 3 steps:

Roof Solar

1. Clinic Electrification

Frontline health clinics receive solar systems to improve healthcare access and delivery for an average of 27,500 people.  Hours of operation increase and care is improved.

Education

2. Community Education

Mothers in the community are educated on ante-natal, birth, and postpartum care, highlighting the benefits of giving birth under professional supervision in a health clinic.

Mother with baby

 3. Solar Light Received

New moms receive a safe solar light for use at home to care for their babies. The new light replaces her dirty, polluting, and dangerous kerosene lamp and provides 8+ hours of light.

Program Impacts

Mother

Improved health and safety

When solar lights shine, indoor air quality and health improve, the risk of fire decreases, and families increase anti-malarial bednet usage.

Improved education

When solar lights shine, children use the light to do homework in the evenings, and households increase spending on school fees.

Improved empowerment

When solar lights shine, new mothers report increased empowerment and decision-making in the household.

Improved financial resilience

When solar lights shine, new mothers can be productive into the evening hours, using increased income to build financial stability.

Improved energy affordability

When solar lights shine, new mothers are no longer reliant on kerosene lamps or candles, saving 10-30% of weekly household income.

Improved wellbeing

When solar lights shine, mothers report improved indicators of wellbeing and enjoy increased social status in the community.

Meet the Mothers

Click on the images below to read stories from several of the 1,300 SB+HH mothers sharing the benefits they’ve received since returning home from the hospital with their new babies and safe solar lights.

Narratives and impact assessments were developed by the Wharton Global Impact Consultants in March 2020, a pro-bono consultancy project for Let There Be Light International.
Solar Health Uganda is responsible for coordinating and implementing SB+HH in Uganda

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Maternal & Infant Health

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