Meet the mothers of Angaradebou.

A lengthy dry season makes growing food in northern Benin incredibly difficult. SELF's Solar Market Garden combines solar-powered pumps with drip irrigation to enable year-round food production.


Access to energy:

Saves Lives

Vaccine refrigerators, medical equipment, and water purification systems can’t run without access to electricity.

Feeds Families

Solar-powered pumps ensure clean water delivery and can be combined with drip irrigation for food production.

Improves Education

Lights, computers, and internet connectivity reduce the barriers to students pursuing an education.

Increases Income

Electricity equips entrepreneurs with tools to jumpstart small business operations, creating more robust local economies.

Project Highlights

Learn about these SELF projects that need your support.

Check This Out

Lighting the Way to Education 

This holiday season, SELF is raising awareness for the important role of light in our lives. This article explores why lighting classrooms can revolutionize education in energy-poor places.  The Katansama School in Colombia had ambitious students, dedicated teachers, and a supportive ...

Solar Cooking Program Yields Gains in Uganda 

New initiative equips women with entrepreneurial skills in clean cooking and business management  JINJA, Uganda, November 18, 2024 – The Solar Cooking Program trains women in Uganda to become culinary entrepreneurs. An initiative of the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), the ...

Fighting Injustice in Uganda: Inside the “Justice Microgrid” 

A new SELF documentary explores how solar electricity is helping underserved people get justice in Uganda. In the rural Kole District, electricity is hard to come by. This means streets go unlit at night, community services are under-resourced, and citizens have little means of accessing infor...

More like this

Energy poverty by the numbers

It’s about more than turning the lights on. The impacts of energy poverty span nearly every aspect of life.

27

% of people who lack safe drinking water

43

% of people who live without adequate sanitation

29

% of people who use dangerous cooking systems

33

% of people who don’t have internet access

Source: The 2023 Sustainable Development Goals Report

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SELF is a global leader in the fight against energy poverty. Since 1990, we’ve pioneered unique applications for solar energy, powering progress on food security, health care, education, gender equity, and more. 

501(c)(3) non-profit organization EIN: 52-1701564

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Washington, DC 20036

+1 (202) 234-7265