I’ve been investing in off-grid solar systems for more than a decade; in lighting, for nearly two. That means meeting hundreds of individuals representing hundreds of millions who previously lived in the dark, relying on dirty, expensive, dangerous kerosene for light.
I remember a woman named Rebecca in Kenya. When we met in 2023, she had just installed a solar system. She told me she used to live in fear — fear of snakes or men when she used the outdoor toilet at night. Now, she said, “I feel safe. My children and I can read at night. We can watch television and be connected to the world. We can feel free.”
Rebecca paid for her system with hard-earned income. Her electricity didn’t come from a humanitarian program but from a for-profit solar company backed by patient investment — and what made that investment patient, a critical ingredient for companies operating in tough markets, was philanthropy.
My organization, Acumen, recently celebrated a milestone: nearly $250 million raised to bring light and power to 70 million people across 17 of Africa’s most underserved markets. With celebration, the announcement sparked an unexpected reaction: some assumed that because such large sums were involved, Acumen must no longer need philanthropy. The opposite is true: philanthropy made it possible.
