Solar Lights for New Mothers
The Shine On Rwanda team is excited about 2026! Working closely with our partners, Let There Be Light International (LTBLI) and Think About Education Rwanda (NPO-TER), as well as our generous supporters, we intend to distribute 3,000 solar lights in 2026 – that’s a 50% increase from 2025! This means that over 12,000 people in rural, off-grid Rwanda will experience the health, safety, economic and overall well-being benefits of a simple solar light, providing them an opportunity for increased self-sufficiency and a better future.
Shine On Rwanda has always focused solar light distributions on the most vulnerable households in off-grid communities, focusing on what we term MODES: mothers, orphans, the disabled, the elderly and students.
Our partner organization, Let There Be Light International (LTBLI) has been programing “Safe Births and Healthy Homes” for several years in Uganda, Malawi and Kenya. This program, which includes the electrification of rural health clinics, also features new mothers receiving a solar light for their home when they leave the clinic with their newborn. This program has been studied and verified over the years and has proven to be very successful. Our Shine On Rwanda Rwandan partner, Think About Education Rwanda (NPO-TER) is now initiating a version of this program in Rwanda.
NPO-TER has established relationships with several hospitals and health clinics in the Gasagara District in southern Rwanda, and has begun implementing a program of getting solar lights to young mothers as they leave the clinics with their newborns.
Young mothers, just heading home from a rural health clinic after giving birth benefit in many ways from using a solar light:
When solar lights shine, new mothers will be able to see her newborn more fully when nursing and caring for the child at night.
When solar lights shine, new mothers are no longer reliant on kerosene lamps or candles, saving 10-30% of weekly household income. Mothers are also able to be productive into the evening hours, using increased income to build financial stability.
When solar lights shine, indoor air quality and health improve, the risk of fire decreases, and families increase anti-malarial bed net usage.
When solar lights shine, families report enjoying more quality time with each other, as they are able to eat, read, and work together in the evening by solar light
John and Leah will be visiting Rwanda in June and will spend time in the field with the NPO-TER team in the Gasagara District. We will be visiting hospitals as well as conducting home visits with new moms. We are excited about this new part of the Shine On Rwanda program. We will report back on this later in the year.
Once again, our great success in 2025 could not have been achieved without our generous supporters, friends and family. We thank you all, and we look forward to your on-going support in 2026!
