Unite to Light

Safety and Opportunity for Kenyan Artisans

9/1/2025

This July, Unite to Light partnered with SAWA SAWA, an organization dedicated to empowering Kenyan artisan women through traditional craftsmanship, to bring solar light to communities living without electricity in Sekenani, Narok County and Nanyuki, Laikipia County. Over the course of two weeks, 40 solar Luke Lights were distributed to women artisans who not only face poverty but also the dangers of living alongside wildlife.

Kenyan Woman wearing traditional clothing and a Unite to Light Luke Light

Nasha Nairuko wearing a Luke Light around her neck

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Powering Resilience: Unite to Light Brings Innovative Solar PowerPoles to Santa Barbara County

9/1/2025

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The PowerPole is designed to work in the most challenging conditions. Seeing it deployed for everything from emergency alerts to sustainable agriculture shows how flexible and powerful this technology can be in protecting communities. "
- Dan Casey, CEO of Dragon Q Energy.

At Unite to Light, we believe that access to clean, reliable energy is essential for building strong, connected, and resilient communities. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce the deployment of eight new solar PowerPoles across Santa Barbara County, a project that will transform how our neighbors access power, internet, and critical resources.

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Lighting the Path: How Unite to Light Supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals

8/21/2025

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sustainable development goals that unite to light contributes to

At Unite to Light, our mission is simple: to provide clean, reliable light and power to people living without electricity. But the impact of this mission is anything but small. Every solar light we distribute is a step toward a healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable world, aligned with the United Nations’ ambitious blueprint for the future: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Established in 2015, the SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all by 2030. There are 17 goals in total, each addressing critical global challenges. Unite to Light directly contributes to eight of these global goals. Here’s how.

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Bridging the Digital Divide

8/14/2025

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Local nonprofit Unite to Light and the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB) have teamed up with Deckers Brands to support students from extremely low-income families through the annual Tools for School program. This new initiative, Lessening the Digital Divide for Housing Authority Resident Students, will provide solar-powered reading lights and phone chargers to more than 200 junior high and high school students.

Housing Authority City of Santa Barbara and Deckers Logos

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Brighter Futures in Guatemala: Light, Water, and Community Empowerment

7/13/2025

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When we stepped into Gloria Tuyuc’s home in San Juan Comalapa, she welcomed us with a warm smile. Gloria’s family lives with unreliable electricity. On nights without power, she resorts to buying candles, a constant expense that adds up over time. Water is equally uncertain. Gloria only has running water for about an hour each day, forcing her family to store what they can and sometimes drink from the sink. It’s a risk that has often left her children sick.

When we placed a solar light in Gloria’s hands, her relief was immediate. Now, even when the power fails, she knows her family has a reliable light source, and money once spent on candles can go toward other expenses. The water filter we gave her will mean safe, clean water every day, helping protect her children from illnesses.

Guatemalan woman in traditional dress, holding a solar Luke Light

Gloria Tuyuc, Photo by Gaia Menni

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Same Spark, Different Struggles.

6/26/2025

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Supplement or Survival: How One Light Means So Much

For Some, a Help — For Others, Hope

If you joined our International Day of Light celebration where we discussed the longitudinal research we’ve
been conducting in Honduras for the last three years, you heard two answers to this question:

Q: Are Luke Lights being used the same
in rural and urban areas of Honduras?

A: Yes…and no. It’s complicated.
But that’s what makes it so powerful.

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Lights Out? Prepare for Planned and Unplanned Blackouts

6/3/2025

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Photo by Mike Newbry on Unsplash

In early 2025, more than 4 million people were left without electricity as L.A. wildfires ravaged homes and destroyed businesses. This left many without adequate lighting, proper cooling systems, and threatened access to communication and water. As environmental catastrophes become more common, and unplanned blackouts increase with them, the importance of being prepared has never been greater. Here, we will outline tips for both planned and unplanned blackouts, giving you and your loved ones guidance on how to stay safe.

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Powering Education in Sierra Leone: Unite to Light and World Food Programme’s Partnership for Change

4/29/2025

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I want to become a presidential guard when I grow up. This light will help me study and achieve my dream. "
— John Belmoh, Class Three Student, DEC Primary School Baimbay

John Belmoh using the Luke Light for school work

In a country where nightfall often marks the end of learning for children, a small solar light can transform not just homework routines, but entire futures. Unite to Light’s partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sierra Leone brought light—literally and figuratively—to over 2,200 students, teachers, and farmers in three remote chiefdoms.

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Lighting Lives Across the Globe: Partnerships to Power Health, Education, and Safety

4/25/2025

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This spring, Unite to Light is thrilled to support six organizations through our Gift of Light Partner Program, each working to improve lives through education, health, and housing. Together, we’re delivering solar-powered solutions to refugee camps in Uganda, artisan communities in Kenya, and underserved populations in cities like Las Vegas.
Here’s a look at the six organizations we’re partnering with to bring light to communities in need.

Africa Schools of Kenya

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The Struggle for Power: Voices from San Francisco’s Unhoused Community

4/10/2025

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Access to power is often overlooked, yet for individuals experiencing homelessness, it’s a daily struggle that can mean the difference between connection and isolation. We've partnered with Harm Reduction Therapy again, to provide solar-powered solutions to those in need across San Francisco.

At both their drop-in center and mobile sites, Harm Reduction Therapy recently distributed our Chandler Chargers to help their clients overcome one of the most persistent barriers–staying connected.

Our partner’s shared testimonies and anecdotes shine a light on the difficulties of finding a stable charge for unhoused individuals, in addition to finding other basic needs.

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<<Previous

Unite to Light Blog

Safety and Opportunity for Kenyan Artisans

Powering Resilience: Unite to Light Brings Innovative Solar PowerPoles to Santa Barbara County

Lighting the Path: How Unite to Light Supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Bridging the Digital Divide

Brighter Futures in Guatemala: Light, Water, and Community Empowerment

Same Spark, Different Struggles.

Lights Out? Prepare for Planned and Unplanned Blackouts

Powering Education in Sierra Leone: Unite to Light and World Food Programme’s Partnership for Change

Lighting Lives Across the Globe: Partnerships to Power Health, Education, and Safety

The Struggle for Power: Voices from San Francisco’s Unhoused Community

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