Our Mission

The Importance of Energy

Energy powers everything. It enlightens our lives, keeping us safe, productive, and informed. We get up each morning interacting with electricity, unfazed by the power it wields. It allows us to easily illuminate our darkened rooms, take hot showers, check on our kids, call our moms, use our smartphones, and more. Electricity is great – and accessible to many of us.

But approximately 860 million people in Africa live without or with unreliable access to electricity. Instead, they often rely on dirty, dangerous, and polluting fuels like kerosene.Millions of people shut down their businesses after dark, go to sleep in darkness, get up in darkness, and take care of loved ones in darkness. Always trying (like us all) to keep their families safe and healthy. All without electricity.

These communities have access to something more reliable and renewable than an electric grid: the sun. And although solar won’t solve all the world’s problems, it’s a powerful step towards safer, healthier, more productive lives for many.

We don’t often think much about our relationship with energy and light because it’s usually just a switch or a plug away. But our energy consumption has put our planet in danger. And many of the people suffering most from climate change are those who had the least to do with creating it. Entire regions in Africa have been impacted by drought, unpredictable growing seasons, and worsening storms.

How LTBLI Helps

We believe in environmental and economic justice at Let There Be Light International. We believe that we can safeguard our shared ecosystem and enlighten lives through the donation of solar lights to vulnerable, off-grid communities.

It’s true that a single solar light won’t save the world, but it’s also true that solar lights are changing thousands of lives – one person, one household, one community at a time. We know this because we have solar-electrified 90 off-grid health clinics using solar power. We have also donated 46,500 solar lights to vulnerable families in one or more of our M.O.D.E.S. (Mothers, Orphans, Persons Living with a Disability, Elders, Students).

We’ve helped children continue their studies at night. We’ve enabled healthcare centers to remain open 24 hours a day, better serving their communities and especially assisting in maternity and infant care.

At Let There Be Light International, we’re committed to our mission to transform the lives of vulnerable families and communities through solar power. We invite you to become a part of our efforts to help others Shine On. Check out our interactive Impact Map here.