16 September 2015
DESA Energy Grant “Shines Light” on Energy Solutions for Childbirth
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The first-ever US$1 million UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Energy Grant has been awarded to We Care Solar, a non-profit organization, which provides low-cost, renewable energy for medical services to prevent maternal and child complications during labor in areas without electricity.

The ‘Powering the Future We Want' grant aims to expand the use of the organization's ‘Solar Suitcase,' which, by making solar power simple, accessible and affordable, allows for the provision of electricity for medical procedures during childbirth in developing countries.

powering_the_future_we_want14 September 2015: The first-ever US$1 million UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Energy Grant has been awarded to We Care Solar, a non-profit organization that provides low-cost, renewable energy for medical services to prevent maternal and child complications during labor in areas without electricity. The ‘Powering the Future We Want’ grant aims to expand the use of the organization’s ‘Solar Suitcase,’ which, by making solar power simple, accessible and affordable, allows for the provision of electricity for medical procedures during childbirth in developing countries.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, We Care Solar co-founder Laura Stachel stressed that women have the right to safe childbirth and said that, by providing this grant, the UN is “shining a light” on the lack of reliable electricity in health care. We Care Solar’s goal, she said, was to “put that solution in a box and get it to every healthcare facility in the world.”

During the awards ceremony, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted that energy underpins all efforts to achieve development objectives. UN General Assembly President Sam Kutesa explained that the grant focuses on the need not only for innovation and implementation but also for capacity building on energy for sustainable development.

The Solar Suitcase provides off-grid health clinics with solar power for obstetric and surgical lighting, mobile phones, fetal heart rate monitors and other medical devices; and is reducing maternal and infant morbidity in more than 20 countries in Africa and South Asia. In the last five years, We Care Solar has worked with local partners to empower 5,000 health workers in the areas of solar energy utilization, installation and servicing.

There were ten finalists for the award out of over 200 applicants. In addition, Masdar, the Renewable Energy Company of Abu Dhabi, received a special award for its clean energy efforts globally, and BYD, an electric vehicle company, received special recognition, for promoting clean technologies in public transportation.

The UN-DESA Energy Grant is a capacity-building initiative, launched and managed by DESA, in collaboration with the China Energy Fund Committee, a Hong Kong-based NGO. The annual grant supports individuals, institutions and partnerships to advance capacity development in energy for sustainable development. [Powering the Future We Want Website] [UN News Story] [Remarks by the Secretary-General] [Webcast of Awards Ceremony]

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