Life After Dark: What Happens Without Light
Imagine living on the equator where the sun rises at 6 am and sets at 6pm every day of the year. Pitch black by 7 PM, every single night, all year round, with no electricity. No streetlights. No glowing screens. No humming fridge or buzzing fan. No lights. Just you and your family in a small mud hut, in the dark, with only the steady hum of nature.
What does life feel like for the Rwandan communities served by our non-profit Shine on Rwanda?
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine it: you live in a village that sits almost exactly on the equator. You wake up with the sun. Your alarm clock is the cows or the chickens or the sound of people stirring around you. At sunrise the day begins, perhaps with promise and energy. But it’s short.
Twelve hours later, the sun vanishes—quickly, suddenly, with no twilight to buffer the transition. It’s 6:00 PM and dark descends like a thick curtain. And there you are. No lamps. Maybe you can afford an expensive flashlight, or a dangerous kerosene lamp. No electricity to power a bulb, a phone, or a fan to stir the hot, still air. Kids cannot study or read, moms cannot see the babies they care for, and a walk to the outhouse can be treacherous. Healthcare becomes fragile.
Imagine, what does your evening look like? At some times during the month, you wait for the moon to rise so that you can cook the family dinner outdoors. Of course there is no refrigeration for food, no way to charge a phone, read or study. You cannot see each other inside your home.
Without light or electricity, life gets hard. Even something as simple as walking a path becomes dangerous. This isn’t just a thought experiment—it’s reality for over 700 million people worldwide who live without electricity, many of them along the equator. Places rich in sunlight, biodiversity, and culture, yet left in the literal dark when the sun goes down.
So why does this matter?
Because light is essential. It’s a foundation for education, health, safety, and opportunity. And with Shine on Rwanda, we give light.
Imagine life without this simple, quiet privilege. And please join us to give the gift of light. $100 provides light for 5 families.
