FINCA INTERNATIONAL, INC. : Children studying under the solar light

Access to affordable clean energy is essential to helping families break their cycle of poverty. In Uganda, roughly 60% of the population lives off-grid and cannot access electricity. In response, FINCA founded BrightLife, a company based in Uganda that provides affordable clean energy products. Since 2016, BrightLife has reached over 200,000 people bringing light to their homes with solar-powered lamps. This means more productive time, increased monthly incomes, and better health prospects for BrightLife clients. In short, FINCA is powering a social enterprise that is helping so many people thrive. Can we count on you to be part of our mission? Bring Clean Energy to Homes in Uganda Families in Uganda living off-grid face a tough choice. Once the sun sets, their day ends, or they’re forced to rely on kerosene lamps to light their homes. Kerosene is an expensive fuel, and its fumes are toxic, damaging the lungs and causing headaches, dizziness, and severe eye irritation. To help these impoverished communities, BrightLife and its local partners are working on lighting up more homes using solar energy. In addition to solar-powered lights, BrightLife now offers a variety of affordable clean energy products like cookstoves, phone chargers, and radios. Its success has spurred a growing demand for solar home systems because people now realize their benefits. First off, solar-powered homes allow more productive hours, which translates to higher incomes. Also, families are eager to replace kerosene lamps with solar-powered lights to keep their household air clean and avoid health problems. One other benefit is saving on the cost of fuel. However, public and private energy distributors cannot provide clean energy to communities in remote and rural areas because it is too expensive and not commercially feasible. With the support of our community of donors, BrightLife has been able to take on that risk. Now we need your gift to help us reach more remote homes in Uganda. BrightLife’s impact to date: • 50,090 people benefitting from clean energy solutions • $14.50 additional monthly income earned on average • 13,061 tons of carbon emissions offset • 85% of customers report health improvements “When my children studied around a single candle, it was hard for them to study, and their eyes would hurt from the smoke. With solar lights, my children can concentrate better on their studies, and they are all doing better at school.” – Rose Aya, a customer from Kirayandongo Refugee Settlement in Uganda You Can Help Reduce Carbon Emissions FINCA and its partners are providing tools for communities to break the cycle of poverty in their lives. Over the next four years, BrightLife plans to provide first-time access to clean energy to 135,000 households in Uganda. Your support will enable us to provide more clean energy solutions for homes in Uganda and help fight climate change. Together we can give more families an opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us. We are most grateful for your support.