Nigeria, November 2011. It’s our ninth day delivering Solar Suitcases to maternal health facilities in Kano and Kaduna states. As we make our way from clinic to clinic, we have been overwhelmed by stories we have heard about the consequences of inadequate lighting on childbirth. It has been heartbreaking to hear midwives describe how [...]
One of the things we love about working in other countries is that it gives us an opportunity to train others to become competent with solar electricity. On this trip, in addition to training dozens of health workers to use and maintain the solar suitcase, we are expanding our team with new trainers and [...]
Today was magical. Our team left the city of Kano to reach Minjibir General Hospital, where we were scheduled to bring light and power to the Operating Theatre, Maternity Ward, and Labor Room. The staff was excited about our Solar Suitcase training, and quickly assembled a group of midwives, doctors, and hospital administrative staff, [...]
ABC News featured WE CARE Solar tonight: “Let There Be Light – World News’ Person of the Week: Dr. Laura Stachel of WE CARE Solar”. Our story is part of ABC’s Million Moms Challenge project to raise awareness and funds to address pregnancy issues and children’s health. ABC shows footage taken when they joined us [...]
In the developing world, childbirth is a risky and all too often fatal event.
In 2008, I watched a pregnant woman arrive in labor at a Northern Nigeria hospital. She lay on a metal table in the delivery room, bleeding, in need of an emergency c/section. The hospital had limited electricity, no monitors, and [...]
I first went to Liberia to shoot an independent documentary, looking at how people move past the atrocities of war.
In the weeks I spent in Liberia, I heard war stories about the 250-thousand who were killed, spoke to women who were raped by fighting factions, and listened to [...]
WE CARE Solar has been honored as a 2011 Tech Award winner this year. The Tech Award Gala was a multi-media extravaganza, with the keynote address by luminary Jeff Skoll, who chronicled his life’s work and commitment to making the world better. The gala presented movies highlighting the work of the 15 Tech Award [...]
Intisar Ali, a registered nurse from San Jose, is headed to Somalia this week. Although she loves her job caring for refugees who have come to United States, her heart is in her homeland. Intisar came to our Solar Suitcase trainings armed with photos of clinics and a movie depicting Buuhoodle and surrounding areas [...]
WE CARE Solar was today named as a laureate of The Tech Awards 2011 in recognition of its work to reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality in the developing world by providing solar electricity for lighting and communications. WE CARE Solar is one of 15 global innovators recognized for applying technology to benefit humanity [...]
At our September WE CARE Solar Suitcase orientation class in Berkeley, a passionate group of volunteers came together to learn about electricity, off-grid photovoltaic systems, and Solar Suitcase installation. The workshop brought together an international group of solar engineers, social entrepreneurs and individuals just “wanting to make a little bit of difference in the [...]
