This time two years ago our business, Power a Life, was reaching new heights. In turn, we were providing life-changing impact for thousands of disadvantaged children in developing countries with solar lights.
In the blink of an eye our growth was halted, much like millions of other businesses across the world. We are now back in action, and as we dust ourselves off we are working to achieve our greatest mission to date.
Gifting 10,000 solar lights to school children in Africa.
Who are we?
For nearly 7 years we have been selling charging devices. For every one of our mobile charging devices sold, we send a solar light to a child living in a village or town with no electricity. These include portable and wireless chargers for phones, earbuds and other gadgets, all of which can be branded with our client’s logo or message.
This solar light is likely to be the only source of light a child has after sunset. It allows them to travel home safely from school, go to the toilet at night, and most importantly, to study. Homework and studying for exams can now take place after dark, allowing school children to reach their true potential.
However the impact doesn’t stop there. With every solar light gifted, all family members living under one roof have a source of light. Communities as a whole benefit as a knock-on impact, as primary school and high school students can now graduate to further education, creating generations of skilled farmers, nurses, doctors, engineers, teachers and so much more.
How did we get started?
Our Founder, Jeremie Warner, had the idea for Power a Life while working in Senegal, where he was running photographic workshops for school kids living in rural areas. Living off grid, he realised there was a huge need for portable power as the team had to travel for hours to a neighbouring village to recharge cameras, phones and laptops.
When reviewing the photographs taken from the school children, there was one thing every picture had in common. All images were taken during the daytime, none were taken at night.
Why? Families living off grid had no access to a sustainable source of light.
The team was in need of power, whilst the school children were in need of light.
Impact in real numbers
In 2016 we sent our first batch of solar lights and the results were simply astounding. There were improvements across the board, with the biggest increase in academic results found in maths, where the class average tripled in just eight weeks from 19 percent to 56 percent.
Improvement in grades is simply scratching the surface. We are also delighted to learn about the new found confidence teachers are seeing in their pupils, the improvements in lessons overall and the benefits the solar lights provide to the whole community.
Pre-pandemic we sent just over 5000 lights to children in Africa, impacting on the lives of 9270 people. This year in 2022 we are on a mission to send double this amount! 10, 000 solar lights will allow 10,000 school children to study at night and prevent 40,000 family members from living in darkness.
Be part of the story
Like many businesses during the pandemic we sought support whilst also wanting to offer any help that we could for our neighbouring entrepreneurs. Needless to say, the Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce has been invaluable in providing opportunities to get us back on track.
We are now excited to be providing life changing impact once more. If you want to learn more about what we do, or be part of our mission as we send 10,000 solar lights to children in Africa, check out our website and social channels at www.poweralife.com.
To find out more about the Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce you can visit their website here: forthvalleychamber.co.uk.
