WE CARE Solar

WE CARE Solar provides solar electric kits for medical lighting and communication that are reliable, robust, and low-cost, enabling timely and appropriate emergency care in maternal health facilities and settings without reliable electricity.

Energy products/services
LUTW designs systems based on end user needs. Many systems that LUTW installs in small off-grid homes consist of a 10 Watt solar panel, a 12 volt-12 amp hour maintenance-free lead acid battery, three to four WLED lamps and an output for charging cell phones.
Impact to date

• Over 110 solar suitcases have been introduced to health facilities in 14 countries to date. Each facility provides care for between 200 and 2000 mothers a year.
• After pilot solar installation in Nigerian hospital, maternal deaths decreased and obstetric admissions increased. In rural clinics, health workers report improved safety and increased access to maternity care.

Problem addressed

• Maternal mortality worldwide accounts for more than 530,000 deaths a year; 99% of these occur in Africa and Asia, where over 300,000 health care facilities lack reliable electricity.
• Doctors and midwives struggle to provide obstetric care– often relying on candles or kerosene lanterns.
• Patients fail to obtain timely care, obstetric surgeries are delayed or conducted under grossly suboptimal conditions, and the consequences are often tragic.
• When birth complications occur, mothers and babies can be saved if health facilities have reliable lighting, mobile communication, and electricity to power medical devices.

Growth plan

• Optimize suitcase design based on rigorous field testing.
• Establish distribution and training partnerships with large NGOs and national governments.
• Create manufacturing partnership to gain economies of scale.
• Establish revenue base that makes their core activities sustainable and enables them to reach target markets in 3 continents (by 2015).