Approximately 2 billion people worldwide struggle with energy poverty. This refers to the inability to meet basic energy needs, such as lighting, heating, and cooking, due to a lack of access to energy sources. Not only does this issue have a significant impact on the quality of life for those affected, it also contributes to climate change. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that those who have been left behind have the opportunity to choose sustainable energy options for their energy needs. By providing homes and businesses access to our solar micro fund we work towards a future where everyone has the energy they need to thrive, while also helping to combat climate change. Below are a few stories from the people who have participated in our solar micro fund program.
Rajkumari is from Bauwa village Uttar Pradesh India. She lives with her three children and elderly father-in-law. She lost her husband and mother-in-law during the second wave of COVID-19. Her husband was the main bread winner but with him gone her debts started growing. She could not afford to pay her electricity bill and her power was turned off. Rajkumari and her family were living in the dark, relying on candles for lighting. Their situation was getting worse by the day. In response she decided to start working at the farm where her husband had been a laborer. There she heard about our solar micro fund program and reached out to one of our team members. We worked with her to come up with a monthly payment plan that she was comfortable with and she became a customer. She now gets 100% of her power from solar and after 6 months she completely paid for her solar array.
Ayodhya Prasad, owns a small medical store in the Phakarpur block of Bahraich. He was fed up with the frequent power cuts that forced him to close his shop early in the evening. An SVP team member met Ayodhya and introduced him to our solar products and their benefits. In rural India people are often weary of paying for products in installments. Yet our staff reassured Ayodhya and convinced him to buy our system via a simple payment plan. Since then he has been a very satisfied customer and has fully paid for his solar array. He is thrilled with the system’s performance and the support he has receives from our company. Thanks to SVP Ayodhya is now able to keep his shop open until 8:00 p.m. which he could never do before.
Enabling people to purchase a solar array through small monthly installments can have a big impact. Making solar more accessible to those who may not otherwise be able to afford it can have a significant impact on the economic and social development of under served communities and the environment.
Malti Devi and her husband, Ram Suhawan Maurya have six children and live in Udwanpur village. Ram works as a day laborer, while Malti runs a small shop in their village. They often experience power cuts for 16-18 hours a day. They wanted solar power to help their children and improve their quality of life but could not afford it. Thanks to our Solar Micro Fund program Malti and Ram were among our first customers. Malti is very happy with her system and excited to give her family a better life thanks to solar power.
