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Hi, at BrightLife we support rural communities in Uganda by providing solar lights and appliances. We do this by offering pay as you go financing, allowing customers to pay for their system over time. That way, everyone has a chance to access sustainable electricity! The task is a big one. As at 2021, approximately 55% of Ugandans still do not have access to electricity.
As a social enterprise and part of the FINCA International family, we are all about impact. To that end we also run a charitable project, Lamp Library, to better support education in off-grid communities, leveling the playing field for children who grow up in rural communities by providing solar lights and lanterns to schools.
Without light, the life of a Ugandan child in a rural area can be one of hardship. Childhood and education are often lost to the realities of economic deprivation. On return from school, many children support their parents on the farm or in their business. This leaves little time for homework and play before the sun sets. Safety is a constant concern with children rushing to reach their home before the sun goes down.
The Lamp Library Project seeks to change this. The solar lights we provide brighten the schools campus making it a place of safety and security. Our lanterns can be borrowed by pupils in the same way as a book to help them study or give light at their home. Through this, the project supports the whole community - the school, the pupil and their families.
From the 16 schools we have supported so far, we see three key benefits:
- Children's education and exam results have improved dramatically as they can continue to study as the sun goes down - there has been a 143% increase in children receiving the highest grades in the schools supported
- Safety in schools, particularly for girls, has increased significantly with the introduction of lights on campus - reported instances of sexual assaults, common in so many off-grid schools, have been eradicated in the schools we have supported
- Lanterns borrowed from the library and taken home have supported the local communities as children's parents can extend their working hours to undertake their crafts
However, there are still at least 5,000 schools in Uganda without electricity.
We need your support to raise £15,000 to fund 5 more schools, giving light to at least 2,500 children.
Each school will receive 6 solar home systems for the campus and 100 solar lanterns for their library.
If you want to find out more, please visit our projects page - Lamp Library Project
All the money raised will go directly to the project, supporting the schools and their pupils.
Please donate to support a child's education! We thank you for your support!
Organizer
Bernard Carr
Organizer