HAITI Earthquake RELIEF 2021 Light up Haiti
We are bringing solar lights (Solights) to the Haitian communities that have no power and are in need of light, hope, and aid after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake on August 14th. We already have 219 lights to give right now and Alice Chun, the inventor of the SolarPuff solar lantern, is traveling to Haiti to deliver them in person. As we did on our previous aid missions we will share photos and video of the distribution. Having light after a disaster is critical for safety and community surveillance. Many assaults happen in the tent camps if there is no light at night. We are already working with organizations on the ground giving medical aid and supplies and food to the victims of this devastating earthquake. read more from Solight about our work in Haiti here
The SolarPuffs charge using the sun's energy and pop open into a cube of light. Using our global nonprofit partners, we sent lights to Haiti in 2010, to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, to Syrian refugees, and to schools in Senegal.
In 2010 we went to Haiti to test our first handmade prototypes of the Solar Puff and we gave them to the women farmers that worked the land, most of them had 5 kids at home in a small one-room house with a kitchen outside. Amonnia Belle is one of the first women to use our Solarpuff. She is a single Mom, works the land and has 5 kids at home. It breaks your heart to hear how her children have had to breath toxic smoke from her kerosene lantern, and that this is a “gift from God”.
Vulnerable communities, and particularly their children and young women, are most at risk after a natural disaster. When power is lost, nighttime darkness creates opportunities for kidnappings and assault. This is why we invented the SolarPuff. It helps women and children light their nights using clean energy, reducing dependence on kerosene lighting. We also knew that in regions of poverty most spend up to 30% of their income on Kerosene lighting, which could be better used for food, clothing, or education. Solight is already working with two partnering non-profits, World Central Kitchen and Heartstone Village. With a community-based approach, they have spent the last 11 years building sustainable resilience in Haiti.
A $25 gift will send one Solight solar lantern to a family in Haiti which has the power to impact 5-7 people. Your generosity will provide light for years to come. As always we will be sharing photos and video of the distribution. The tartget for distribution is in the Department Nippes area south east of the epicenter, where there are many small communities that have no power and no aid coming to them. All the big NGOS are focusing on Les Cayes area and many of the smaller communities are not getting help.
Our goal is to raise 1000 lights for Haiti, so that will impact 5000+ lives. It will help to keep children, women, and elderly safe, and give them all a brighter future. If you cannot donate a light, that's ok, you can help in other ways. Just share this campaign with your friends and family. Just by spreading the word, you are helping!
