"This Isn't Fair"

Let’s face it: in a world obsessed with hourly news cycles that primarily highlight the worst of humanity, we could all use a few better, brighter stories.?

Over the past 25 years, I’ve had the opportunity of working for a number of incredible nonprofits and witnessed first-hand the benefit (and harm) nonprofit work can have at home and aboard.?

In my current role as Business Development Manager at Signature Solar, I have the opportunity to interact daily with nonprofits of all sizes that are committed to providing empowering, comprehensive, and culturally-sensitive support to communities around the world. This weekly newsletter is an opportunity to platform the work of potent nonprofits–many of whom are quietly serving the world’s most vulnerable populations–while providing busy professionals stories that rekindle hope.?

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To The Ends of the Earth?

About three months ago, my wife gave birth to our daughter, Naomi. This was a profound experience on many levels. While Naomi is our second daughter, she’s our only biological child. We adopted our oldest daughter, Faith, in 2015 from a small town in Central Uganda. I’ll never forget the first time holding Faith–it was unbelievably surreal.

We had only arrived in Uganda the night before and it hadn’t really occurred to us that we would be holding Faith in our arms the very next day. Our morning drive from Kampala to Faith’s hometown was traffic-logged and exhaust-choked, but by the time we reached the outskirts of Uganda’s largest city, the countryside began to open-up and we saw why Uganda is referred to as “the pearl of Africa.”

Later that day, we pulled off the main road and onto the dusty, red dirt driveway which led to the orphanage temporarily caring for Faith. After meeting the staff and seeing where our soon-to-be daughter slept and was fed, we had the opportunity to travel a short distance to the hospital where Faith was born. This, we were told, was a private hospital–one of the nicest in the region. Nevertheless, we were struck by the plainness of the aesthetic: bare, concrete walls, very few (screenless) windows, and virtually none of the advanced machinery we’re used to seeing crowd the halls of most U.S. hospitals.?

This was my first experience witnessing the healthcare disparity between the US and many developing nations.?

Six months later, I found myself sitting bedside at the Missionaries of Charity Hospital in Port-au-Price, Haiti. The man laying next to me could barely keep his eyelids cracked, and his gaze appeared to hover just above my head. The man was dying, I was told. No other information was provided. Without any medical training (nor medical supplies available which might have been useful) my lone objective was to try and provide a measure of comfort. Armed with an off-key voice and a bottle of lotion. I asked one of the overwhelmed nurses whether she could ask the man if he would like me to massage his hands and feet. Immediately he nodded. I began clumsily applying lotion to the man’s cracked, scarred, and calloused feet. Over the next forty-five minutes, my movements became more rhythmic and I felt compelled to sing a series of hymns that had become meaningful to me. At one point, I looked up at the man’s face and noticed he had fallen asleep (despite my below-average singing voice).

I didn’t have any medical interventions to cure whatever was ailing the man, nor pain medication to dull the intensity of his illness. But somehow I was able to provide this man a moment of peace amid the agony of his affliction.?

I walked away from the hospital where my daughter was born with the same thought I departed from the hospital in Haiti:

This isn’t fair.?

It’s not fair that our second daughter entered the world with such a radically different level of care than our first daughter.?

It’s not fair that the vast majority of the world is vulnerable to illnesses that we can shrug-off because of vaccinations and therapeutics.?

And why isn’t it fair? Because no human being has greater inherent worth than anyone else. Or, as a famous pastor used to say,

“The ground is completely level at the foot of the cross.”?

Several months ago, a leader from Koutiala Hospital in the West African nation of Mali reached out about how he might equip this remote (and therefore absolutely vital) hospital with off-grid solar. Most of Mali comprises part of the Sahara Desert, which is why it’s one of the most inhospitable nations on the planet. Furthermore, the center of the country (part of Africa’s Sahel region) has been plagued by violence from religious extremists and warlords. Due these, and a number of other factors, Mali routinely ranks among the bottom handful of nations on the UNDP’s Human Development Index.?

In the coming months, Koutiala Hospital will install 62 Grape Solar, Inc. panels, 3 EG4 Electronics WallMount Batteries, 2 EG4 18kPV Hybrid Inverters, and 8 EG4 Hybrid Mini-Splits. We look forward to seeing how this top-tier equipment will help Koutiala Hospital continue providing critical care for thousands of Malians for years to come.?

I believe with all my heart that our work is, in a small way, helping to turn “this isn’t fair” to “this is how it should be”.?

You can learn more about Koutiala Hospital and support their ongoing work by visiting: https://www.koutiala-hospital.org/

Let’s Work Together?

At Signature Solar, we believe that solar is for everyone. We’re leveraging our success as a DIY solar distribution company to partner with nonprofit organizations around the world.?

Our partnership model involves providing at-cost solar panels, inverters, batteries, and other equipment to qualified nonprofits. We also leverage our values-driven network of satisfied customers to highlight the work of our partners–driving awareness and support.??

If your nonprofit is interested in learning more about how Signature Solar can help power your mission through the limitless energy of the sun, please reach out: [email protected]