By Laura Stachel
Fifteen years ago, We Care Solar was founded to address a simple but pervasive problem: women dying in childbirth because their health facilities lack light. Midwives were delivering babies by candlelight, suturing by flashlight, and struggling to care for newborns in darkness. Our response—the Solar Suitcase—provided an immediate, practical and sustainable solution to power critical maternal health care in off-grid facilities.
Since then, the global conversation around health facility electrification has been amplified. International attention from the United Nations, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the WHO-hosted Health and Energy Platform of Action (HEPA), UNDP’s Solar for Health, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), and others—has elevated the urgency of powering health care systems. Multilateral development banks, bilateral donors, and philanthropic partners are now investing in national strategies that strengthen power grids and deploy large-scale solar energy systems. The scale up of solar mini-grid power systems also holds promise. These investments aim to electrify entire health facilities, enabling essential services such as lighting, medical equipment operation, vaccine refrigeration, and digital health records. These are transformative developments and we embrace the global commitment to building climate resilient, energy-secure health systems.
While large-scale electrification efforts gain momentum, tens of thousands of rural health facilities remain in the dark. Many are not prioritized in national energy plans. Some will be able to receive power from mini- or metro-grids power systems. Others may wait years—if not decades—before they are connected to reliable power. In the meantime, health workers in these communities continue to provide essential care under unsafe and inhumane conditions. And mothers continue to deliver in darkness.
An Immediate Solution That Reaches the Frontlines
We Care Solar continues to make a critical difference. Our We Care Solar Suitcase is designed to meet urgent needs of maternal health centers that lack reliable electricity. With high-efficiency LED lights for medical procedures, rechargeable headlamps, and solar-charged fetal Dopplers, our systems are designed to meet the real-world challenges of last-mile facilities – today.
Just as important as the technology is the systematic approach supporting it. Through our Light Every Birth initiative, we work closely with governments to identify facilities in need, co-design national programs, build local capacity in solar installation, and plan for sustainability from the outset. In partnership with NGOs, UN agencies, and health ministries, we help build a robust ecosystem of support that integrates solar electrification into national health and energy strategies.
To date, We Care Solar has deployed more than 10,000 Solar Suitcases to health facilities, leading national initiatives to focus on public health facilities. Our first Light Every Birth countrywide programs included: Liberia (456 Solar Suitcases), Uganda (2,585), Zimbabwe (1,133), and Sierra Leone (1,267). Now we are establishing programs in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Malawi.
Building Local Capacity for Long-Term Impact
We invest deeply in local capacity-building in each Light Every Birth country. We train and certify local solar installers to manage installations and respond to technical challenges, encouraging women’s participation in solar electric programs. To date, more than 800 men and women have been trained in solar installation. We also work with government technicians to provide them with skills and tools to oversee system maintenance. These professionals become national assets—local leaders ensuring program sustainability long after the initial deployment.
Meeting Urgent Needs While Supporting Long-Term Goals
While we fully support a diversity of long-term electrification projects, the urgency of maternal and newborn health cannot wait. Women will continue to give birth in the dark for years unless we act now. Our work is not a stopgap—it is a critical complement to national energy plans, ensuring that no community is left behind.
The need for our work has not diminished in 15 years. With recent cuts in federal foreign aid and shifting global funding priorities, the agility of organizations like We Care Solar are even more important. We deliver cost-effective, high-impact solutions—quickly and at scale—reaching facilities that might otherwise remain in darkness indefinitely.
A Call to Light Every Birth
We believe that no woman should die giving life because of lack of electricity. No health worker should be forced to work in the dark. We know it will take a coalition of implementers to Light Every Birth. As the global health and energy communities work toward universal electrification, We Care Solar will continue to provide immediate and sustainable light to thousands of maternal health facilities in need. Together, we can ensure that every woman, no matter where she lives, has the power needed to deliver safely.
