Generous Donor has already provided $6,816 in matching contributions. The campaign has now finished.
Campaign Update: While this campaign has ended, we have started a new BrightLife campaign to help even more families recover from the COVID-19 crisis through access to solar home systems.
Learn more about the new campaign here: https://fundrazr.com/FINCAsolar
The Problem
The COVID-19 pandemic has left none of us untouched. Around the world, the virus is wreaking havoc—straining health care systems, devastating economies, and turning people's lives upside down.
...now imagine dealing with this crisis without electricity. No lights to turn on while you work from home or make dinner in the evening. No way to charge your phone to stay connected with friends and family. No way to get news and safety updates.
This is the reality people in Uganda are facing as a nationwide lockdown to prevent community spread of COVID-19.
The Background
As most Ugandan families live without access to electricity, FINCA International's BrightLife program provides access to affordable clean energy lighting. It does this by financing solar home systems—which provide in-home lighting and also have a built-in phone charger and radio—so customers are able to make low, weekly payments until they pay off their product.
The majority of BrightLife’s customers live at or below the poverty line and are experiencing financial hardship during the nationwide lockdown, as they are unable to leave their homes to work and earn money. They are forced to prioritize what little savings they have on necessities like food and soap, foregoing repayments on their solar home systems.
For BrightLife, shutting off people's power is not the answer. BrightLife recognizes that solar home systems are critical for their customers to receive accurate public health information to prevent the spread of coronavirus and to share this lifesaving information with others. BrightLife plans to cover the cost of each family's weekly payments for the next month so they can continue to receive lighting, access to phone charging and radio, all of which are essential lifelines at this urgent time.
How You Can Help
It costs about $3.00 to cover each customer's weekly payment to keep their solar home systems working —giving them light, a way to charge their phones, and a radio to listen to news and updates about the evolving threat that is COVID-19.
It will cost $48,000 to cover the payments of 4,000 BrightLife customers for a month. While that's a big number, any amount you can contribute to this cause will be impactful!
- Just $12 can cover a family's payments for a whole month!
- $60 can cover the payments for 5 families!
- $120 can cover the payments for 10 families!
- $600 can cover the payments for a community of 50 families!
- And the list goes on.
We need your help now to keep these families' lights on. Please give what you can and share our campaign with your friends, family, coworkers, and anyone else you think may be able to help—Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, WhatsApp, email, a text message, in conversation. We can't do this alone and appreciate any support you can give!
On behalf of FINCA, BrightLife, and every customer that will receive light, access to lifesaving public health information and the ability to charge their mobile phones, we say thank you for your generous support!
Wishes
Joweria Nalwadda uses her solar light to charge her mobile phone. Help a family like Joweria's have the ability to charge a phone for a month.
Rose Nayiga uses her solar home system to make food for her family at night after working on her farm all day. Help 5 families like Rose's have the ability to cook at night.
Anne Nanyka uses her solar home system to listen to the news. Help 10 families like Anne's have the ability to listen to the radio for news and information for a month.
Rose Mugenyi and her husband Paul use their solar home system to do work at night. Help 25 families like Rose's have the ability to do work at night for a month.
Jane Namusisi uses her solar home system to save her money—the money she would have spent on kerosene to light her home. Help 50 families have access to save money they would have spent on kerosene for a month.
Highlights
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Joweria Nalwadda uses her solar light to charge her mobile phone. Help a family like Joweria's have the ability to charge a phone for a month.
Rose Nayiga uses her solar home system to make food for her family at night after working on her farm all day. Help 5 families like Rose's have the ability to cook at night.
Anne Nanyka uses her solar home system to listen to the news. Help 10 families like Anne's have the ability to listen to the radio for news and information for a month.
Rose Mugenyi and her husband Paul use their solar home system to do work at night. Help 25 families like Rose's have the ability to do work at night for a month.
Jane Namusisi uses her solar home system to save her money—the money she would have spent on kerosene to light her home. Help 50 families have access to save money they would have spent on kerosene for a month.
