Project Report
| Nov 23, 2023
Stories from the Field November 2023
By Simon Doble | Founder and Chair
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NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH INSPIRATIONAL STUDENTS ILLUMINATES FUTURES IN SOUTH SUDAN
We’re so thrilled to announce two new partnerships in South Sudan with organisations set up by students for students.
Edupower Youth Foundation, based in Juba, South Sudan was formed by ten African students in 2021 and is dedicated to ‘empowering youth and fostering a brighter future’. Enhancing access to education and improving job creation through entrepreneurial skills training, Edupower Youth Foundation hopes to create positive societal changes for young people in the region, particularly underprivileged youth. The organisation requested 50 lights and were blown away to hear a shipment of 250 is on its way!
Community Access for Sustainable Empowerment (CASE) was set up by Garang Buk Buk, a former child soldier. After finishing education, he worked to save up to study in Kenya and before leaving he bought one solar light for his family. After visiting from Kenya and observing crowds of children huddled under the one light to read and study, he began to bring books back from Kenya, made a shelter around the light and thus created his first ‘library’. From then on Garang Buk Buk has gone on to set up more and more libraries in South Sudan.
CASE is receiving 500 lights and plans to distribute the majority of these to girls in the communities in which the organisation works. Some of the lights will accompany books into prisons in South Sudan, where many inmates are young people. The recent conflict, poverty and a lack of family support often sees young people reoffend for petty crimes, and education offers one way to empower these young people towards a more hopeful future.
“I hope to provide them the opportunity to read and study so they will be inspired to turn their lives around once released” Garang Buk Buk, CASE
COUNTRY INSIGHTS: South Sudan
In South Sudan only 7.75% of the population have access to electricity (EYF)
According to Edupower Youth Foundation, communal conflicts and warfare over the last 12 years has seen over 800 schools destroyed, resulting in many children missing out on education. In 2022 UNICEF reported that 2.8 million children were out of school.
In 2016 29.1% of the population were living on less than $1 a day (Our World in Data)
In 2019, 11% of all deaths were attributed to indoor air pollution (Our World in Data)
If you are inspired by the positive changes we are bringing to these children's lives and wish to make an additional contribution, your generous donation can make an even bigger difference.
Together, we can create a brighter future for children.
Simon Doble
Founder and Chair
![Juba in South Sudan]()
Juba in South Sudan
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Aug 7, 2023
Gift of Light report August 2023
By Simon Doble | Founder and Global CEO
Bringing Light and Smiles to Children in Cambodia and Papua New Guinea
Hello everyone
In this edition of Stories from the Field, we are thrilled to share some recent photos with you, capturing heartwarming moments from our team's visit to Kah Chhiveang Primary and High school, Prek Toal Primary school and Kompong Brohok Primary school in Cambodia. During this trip, we had the incredible opportunity to distribute SolarBuddy lights to hundreds of enthusiastic children with help from our NGO partner, Prek Toal Moving Ahead.
The trip to these regions was again a huge success while being a reminder of the conditions that children experience everyday, and the profound impact that these new solar solutions will have.
We are extremely grateful to all of our partners and supporters that help us put lights into the hands of these children, and the contagious smiles it brings.
Please take a moment to enjoy these heartwarming snaps
Additionally, we want to share some wonderful news from recent deliveries of lights to the primary schools of Popo and Sepoe in Papua New Guinea. It was quite a journey, but with the support of our NGO partner, PNG Gulf Association of Queensland, these much-needed solar devices were successfully delivered to the children in these regions.
Here are several heartwarming pictures that demonstrate how these lights are making a significant impact. The children can now do their homework and increase their reading even during the darkest hours inside their homes.
Josephine's Story
Josephine is 13 years old and is in grade 5 at school. She lives with her father and two younger siblings. Her mother has sadly passed away. With her mother gone and being the eldest child and female, she carries out all of the family's household chores including preparing breakfast and dinner, and when Josephine is not at school, she takes care of all the lunches too.
Josephine tries to cook a study at the same time while completing other household chores, but this often just is not possible.
The only lighting the family has in their home is a battery powered lamp that requires three batteries, costing 500 Ariary each and lasting just two weeks.
Before receiving her SolarBuddy light and her study, Josephine said "We learn lessons just before dinner and then we go immediately to sleep".
Josephine's father and teachers noted that since receiving her light, her scores at school are continuously improving, and she is more eager to learn now that she can do so without worrying about batteries running out and the cost associated with purchasing new ones.
If you are inspired by the positive changes we are bringing to these children's lives and wish to make an additional contribution, your generous donation can make an even bigger difference.
Together, we can create a brighter future for children who lack safe and reliable sources of lighting.
Thank you
Simon Doble
Founder and Global CEO
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Apr 10, 2023
Stories from the Field March 2023
By Simon Doble | Founder and Global CEO
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Students in Po Treay Primary School receive your lights
This month, we saw 355 more lights distributed in the Siem Reap region of Cambodia, to Po Treay Primary School! Cambodia has one of the lowest electrification rates in Southeast Asia, with around 6 million people lacking access to electricity, and schools like this one are affected.
Cambodia Rural Student Trust (CRST) were our field partners on the ground who delivered these lights to the students. We feel particularly proud to work with this NGO, as it is run entirely by students who are from rural areas and are sponsored by CRST to attend the best high school and university in Siem Reap. During their time with CRST, they receive mentorship, and are supported in the development of their business skills and general life skills.
The children receive lights directly from older students at CRST who are just like them and were empowered through educational opportunities. Solar light can be this empowering force to help children living in extreme energy poverty improve their own educational outcomes!
4000 lights to aid households in Vanuatu hit by Tropical Cyclone
Last week, the team packed and waved off an incredible feat of 4000 lights, to be sent to our partners at Vanuatu Foresters Association.
See your lights being packed and couriered off!
https://youtube.com/shorts/lpFsHpEUVqY?feature=share
During our last distribution together in 2020, Vanuatu Foresters Association distributed 2500 lights to households that were affected by Tropical Cyclone Harold as well as some elderly and people with a disability. Vanuatu has been hit with another devastating cyclone during March, sweeping across the entire island, causing power cuts and evacuations. We are once again using this light distribution as disaster relief for the families affected, to provide a sense of safety at a time when they have lost their basic necessities.
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