Give the gift of light & help educate children

Stories....with a twist! 

This month I've got a story with a difference, and I'm so very excited to tell it to you! 

As you are an insiderwith the SolarBuddy team I wanted to loop you into some fantastic news, and it's all about sustainable innovation. 

For as long as I can remember I have loved creating things. My earliest memory of this is a thumb and forefinger glove protector that I came up with after hitting my finger nailing a nail in as a kid.I was about 10 and building a den in the farm hedges around where I grew up in England. I've seen many of versions of this since then, still think mine was better - but then I'm biased! 

Now I create with Purpose. My life's work is dedicated to ending energy poverty for children everywhere. I intend to do this sustainably and with a view to helping to make this a planet where future generations will thrive. 

SolarBuddy is Carbon Neutral! 

It's with great pride that I can let you know, that whilst ensuring the sustainable product roadmap I always envisaged is well underway, we have also been working on other ways to promote sustainability. 

As you can see the photograph with some of the team, SolarBuddy is now certified carbon neutral with Climate Active.The Climate Active brand represents Australia’s collective effort to measure, reduce, and offset carbon emissions to lessen our negative impact on the environment. Let me tell you, receiving certification is no small feat! We've worked hard to reduce our footprint as much as possible and are proud to have supported a community carbon credit cookstove initiative in Chad to offset what we could not reduce. 

And that's not all.... 

Energy Globe for Sustainability - National Winners 

SolarBuddy has been awarded National Winner with Energy Globe Sustainability Awards. Energy Globe is the most renowned environmental prize worldwide. This year nearly 3,000 amazing environmental projects were submitted, and 180 countries participated. Wow - this makes me so energised to keep going! 

Everyday, you are changing lives! 

During 2021, your gifts of light have been handed to thousands of children in 9 different countries - Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe. As more borders are freed up and more schools open their doors, we will be there to give another child a hand-up,and so willyou. 

"A smile from ear to ear can be seen on my face because with thislight." 

"I will be able to do my homework without problems" 

"We areso happy. The gift of light for life, light for the future." 

“Solar is so much better.” 

"The light help me to be safer during the night also supporting me on learning at night while am at home." 

So what's next? 

I will never stop working to remove the obstacles I find in the way of bringing a brighter future to all children. In the new year, in addition to upgrading our current solar light to an even more sustainable model, SolarBuddy will begin gifting amore complex and powerful solar system that incorporates USB charging capabilities. My no-waste philosophy has lead the way for some more highly innovative packaging. We call this new product StudentBuddy and I can't wait to share more details with you soon - watch this space!

The children never leave my mind. It is my mission to transform the lives of millions because Ibelieve everyone is born equal and it is onlycircumstance that separates us. 

I believe in the extraordinary, so I will continue to test limits to break away from the norm - but always sustainably! 

Come with me and we'll make sustainable practices and carbon neutrality the norm. 

Best wishes, 

Simon Doble 

Founder and Global CEO, SolarBuddy.