When high school students at Cosumnes High School in Elk Grove, California, learned about WE CARE Solar from their teacher, Tim McDougal, they wanted to get involved. Jordan McDougal founded a WE CARE Solar fundraising club, and six engineering students build two solar suitcases for distribution in developing countries. The students learned to wire and assemble the portable solar electric units, which will be used to power lighting and two-way radios in health centers. Their first suitcase will be brought to Mexico to assist with a project led by One HEART to enhance maternity care for the Tarahumara Indians in Chihauhau State. The Tarahumara live in canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon, and suffer from high rates of maternal mortality. The solar suitcase will be the first step in bringing electricity to a remote village that is cut off from advanced obstetric care. An article on this high school project can be found athttp://www.sacbee.com/education/story/2316027.html?mi_rss=Education
Information about One HEART can be found at http://www.onehearttibet.org/
When the Kitchen Table Wasn’t Enough
August 13, 2025
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In the early years of We Care Solar, every Solar Suitcase was built by hand—one at a time, often by students, volunteers, and our own team—for a health facility in need of light for safe deliveries.
