WE CARE Solar Suitcase headed to Somalia, Sudan, and India

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 world.” Through these volunteers, our solar suitcases will reach new destinations. Gabriel Nyok, one of the “Lost Boys of the Sudan,” told us his dream is to bring power to a new multi-purpose facility he sponsored in Southern Sudan. Gabriel will use the Solar Suitcase to equip this future school and clinic with light and power when he travels in November. Inisitar Ali is a nurse from Somalia. Her dream is to lower maternal mortality in her homeland, and she was tearful when she described the poverty and lack of infrastructure that increases the risk of maternal death and disability, such as obstetric fistula. She wants to teach traditional birth attendants midwifery techniques, and to encourage more women to obtain skilled care. She said that without light, women are fearful to use clinics at night. She will bring solar suitcases to two clinics this fall and will stay for six months to work on improving health care. Mangesh Hoskote lives in Bangalore, India. After retiring from the World Bank, he has been focused on empowering local youth – teaching entrepreneurship and tangible skills in renewable energy. His dream is to begin a solar suitcase assembly program in Bangalore and to bring WE CARE Solar Suitcases to local clinics.  The stories shared by these individuals  were good reminders about the impact that solar electricity can have in the world, and the power of the Solar Suitcase to fulfill dreams.