Alleviating Light Poverty One Solar Light at a Time
TACOMA, Washington Today, 1.3 billion people still live without electric light. Light poverty is defined as one’s limited access to artificial light. Those in light poverty seek non-electric lighting methods, including kerosene, candles and flashlights with disposable batteries. These alternatives present alarming drawbacks apart from inconvenience. The open flame and soot from kerosene lamps cause 1.5 million deaths annually. Light poverty is an imperative issue in need of global action.
Let There Be Light International and Unite to Light are two organizations using an innovative approach to alleviate global poverty. These two companies bring solar lights to underserved communities to combat light poverty. The Borgen Project spoke with Sara Baird, Executive Director of Let There Be Light International, and Megan Birney, President and CEO of Unite to Light.
TRILLICK and District Young Farmers Club (YFC) recently held its AGM via Zoom online meeting, with Colin McKinley, Club Leader, welcoming David Oliver from Dungiven YFC, who conducted the meeting. Secretary John Armstrong delivered a comprehensive report of the club’s workings in 2020, despite Covid-19 bringing its regular activities to an abrupt halt. Treasurer Shannen Vance presented a very satisfactory financial report and reported that the club presently has 41 members. At the AGM, the following officials were elected for the 2021/2022 season: President, Rachel Law; Club Leader, Colin McKinley; Assistant Club Leader, Charlie Henderson; Secretary, Megan Birney; Assistant Secretary, Jane McGrade; Treasurer, Jamie McCutcheon; Assistant Treasurer, Shannen Vance; PRO, William Graham; and Assistant PRO, Rebecca Mulligan.
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“There are a billion people without electricity; that is one in every seven people,” said Megan Birney, president/CEO of Unite to Light. The COVID-19 global pandemic has pushed even more people into energy poverty and stranded them in places without electricity. That is why we are excited to partner with The American Fundraising Foundation to host this auction. Donations from this event will help send light and power to students studying in huts, to midwives who have become frontline medical workers and to those suffering disasters and homelessness.”
Unite to Light partners with organizations in the U.S. and worldwide to get solar light and power into the hands of those who need it most: from schools and clinics to humanitarian aid and neighbors experiencing homelessness. Since 2010 Unite to Light has distributed 148,000 solar lights in an effort to fight inequality, one light at a time.