SolarWorks! Provides Solar Power to Communities in the Wake of Cyclone Idai

It has been over two weeks since Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique with a great deal of devastation and destruction to the region, although highly under-reported in the media. Initial government estimates indicate that 1.8 million people have been effected and hundreds of thousands have lost everything. The scale of the damage is still unfolding and the situation will get worse before it gets better.

Located in Mozambique, our partner company SolarWorks! has been working tirelessly to help in the wake of this catastrophe. For both their teams and the community in and around the heavy hit areas of Dondo and Nhamatanda, they have offered their offices as temporary shelter and are helping people in the area in any way they can.

They are also currently raising funds in order to provide medium-sized solar home systems (SHS) for the temporary shelters so people can have a source of light, and perhaps watch tv and listen to music in order to make life slightly more bearable during this challenging time. The SHS also allows people to charge their mobile phones enabling more people to connect, locate others and organize rescue activities.

Nearly all the SolarWorks! clients in the areas affected have lost their SHS’s. Additionally, food, water and basic materials are in desperate need, and SolarWorks is utilizing their distribution network to make sure the goods arrive to those most in need in the areas where they have a local presence. Furthermore, they are doing their best to support relief aid organisations with supplying solar homes systems and relevant training on installation.

SolarWorks! is working on setting up a foundation in order to transparently raise funds for all the aforementioned. Water levels are still high in the affected areas and sources of good information are hard to come by, making plans to help and implementation difficult. SolarWorks! hopes to know more this week, so watch this space for updates.

If you want more information on the situation, about SolarWorks! or how you can help, please contact jessica@staging.persistent.energy.