Kenya: Saving lives with solar technology

Mother receives her new solar battery charger

You don't often meet twins in Turkana northwest Kenya. It's not that mothers don't have them - its just that they find it virtually impossible to breastfeed two children. In this harsh desert region malnutrition is part of daily life. When twins are born, mothers often have to make the impossible decision to let one go or risk losing both.

Nurses Lenny and Scholastica, who work with the St Paul's Missionary Community in Turkana, have been helping one mother of twins by lending her a solar battery charger. The mother now sells power to local villagers to charge their phones and earns enough to feed her family.

Lenny and Scholastica have now made a similar arrangement with a disabled woman who had no other way to earn money. She now travels around the village on her tricycle and charges peoples' phones. She is no longer dependent upon her extended family for their charity and feels empowered by her independence.

The solar chargers are made by the green not for profit company Unite to Light

The St Paul's Missionary Community, supported by UK-based charity New Ways, feeds more than 2,000 children in 18 nurseries across Turkana nurseries six days a week.

If you would like to support their work see: www.justgiving.com/campaign/feedchildrenofturkana2022