Solar Lights are Changing Lives in Salalira

by | Feb 10, 2022 | LTBLI news and updates

Guest blog written by Olivia Owino, M&E and Training Consultant to LTBLI and Solar Health Uganda (based in Uganda).
Let There Be Light International’s maternal and infant health project, Safe Births and Healthy Homes (SB+HH), has changed the lives of many mothers and households in the Ugandan village of Salalira. Mothers who deliver at the local St. Mary’s Health facility receive safe solar lights for infant care at home after delivery.
Many homes use “tadooba” [open-flamed kerosene lamps] or candles for light, a dangerous and polluting source of light. Most low-income households in the area cannot afford to connect to grid electricity and thus have opted for the cheapest source of light they can afford. Some families cannot even afford to buy candles or kerosene and were left in the dark or were burning a local plant [see below] for their source of light. In the worst cases, some extremely impoverished mothers and babies go to sleep hungry and in the dark.

Most mothers [like all mothers around the world] constantly worry about the health of their young ones, especially the breathing problems [like asthma and pneumonia, a leading cause of under 5 morbidity] from the smoke and soot, risk of fire from the “tadoobas” and candles, and itchy eyes and eye infections from the smoke.

Now, solar lamps are transforming the homes of Safe Births + Healthy Homes participants. Besides providing safe and clean light, the lights have been a great contributor to the improved welfare in most homes. The money that was used to buy the kerosene or candles is now saved for other purposes.

Many of the beneficiary households in Salalira have been able to start income-generating activities with the savings. The endeavors include investing in tomato farming, (the families buy fertilizers and pesticides), beauty salons, fish selling, and other businesses. Some mothers say that the household nutrition has improved. Others report paying for basic necessities and school fees.

The community members in Salalira are grateful to Solar Health Uganda and Let There Be Light International for this project. Shine On!

0 Comments

Solar Solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

By Jo Stevens Imagine not having light at night to do household activities, homework, or cooking. Unfortunately, this is the reality for 760 million in the world, and 80 percent live in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Economic Forum, energy poverty is the...

Earth Day Every Day

by Jo Stevens Happy Earth Month! Every April, the global community comes together to shine a light on our shared environment and highlight ways to build a healthier, more sustainable world for everyone. During Earth Month, initiatives for environmental outreach...

Advancing Environmental Justice: A Call to Action

Environmental justice isn't just for experts or activists; it's a growing movement open to everyone. It's a way to take action to ensure that all people regardless of race, income, or background, have access to a safe and healthy environment. Originating from...

Shining a Light on an Equitable Energy Transition

By Jo Stevens, 2024 Environmental Justice Associate As politicians, CEOs, and others strive to meet their goals for a fossil fuel-free economy and net-zero emissions, it is important to ensure that this transition is accomplished in a just manner, providing access and...

LTBLI’s 2023 Solar Recap

Millions of people live without access to electricity in Africa - can you imagine? With your help, we’re doing something about that by solar-electrifying health clinics and donating solar lights to families. Below are pictured three of the more than 10,000 mothers who...

We’re Shining On in Rwanda

A guest blog by the co-founders of Shine On Rwanda, an initiative of Let There Be Light International By Leah Weinkle and John Keith. Nearly 1 billion people in the world live with unreliable access or no access at all to electricity and about 600 million off-grid...

A Short Recap of a Long and Bright Journey

Earlier this month, I traveled with LTBLI Founding Board Member (and exemplary husband), Ben, to Uganda for site visits over the course of 9 action-packed days. Unable to travel since March 2020, due to the global pandemic and then an Ebola outbreak in 2022, LTBLI had...

Shine On Rwanda!

Guest Blog by John Keith and Leah Weinkle   Ten years ago a friend of ours here in Denver started a primary school in Rwanda. Hope Haven Rwanda has recently completed the addition of a secondary school and is the top-performing primary school in Rwanda based on...

Sustainable Energy for All

  A guest blog by Caroline Mwebaza of Solar Health Uganda. Sustainable Energy for All A few months ago, I attended the Sustainable Energy for All Forum in Kigali, Rwanda. l traveled from Uganda as a Delegate on behalf of Let There Be Light International (LTBLI)...

My Summer Solar Internship

Hannah Schulman is this summer's Energy Poverty Intern at Let There Be Light International (LTBLI). She is a rising...