SolarBuddy Scoop - June 2024

Since our last issue, we have welcomed two new team members to our SolarBuddy family and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have them on board to help illuminate the futures of children living in energy poverty. Also in this issue, we visit remote communities in Australia, as well as Lighting Up Lau Province!

Kalani Brown, Global Partnership Manager?– SolarBuddy Live ?

Kalani brings over 20 years of experience to the table, with expertise in conferencing, partnership development, travel management, event coordination, and the charity and social impact sector. In her new role, Kalani will be focused on supporting our global partners, fostering long-term relationships to create meaningful impact.? Welcome Kalani!

Lucy Todd, Charity Program Coordinator?

Lucy will play an integral role within the organisation, looking after both our school partners with Social STEM programs, and our corporate volunteers.

They couldn’t be in better hands! Watch this space for exciting news on our upcoming SolarBuddy Switched On program.?

Empowered Partnerships, Empowering Lives?

We are excited to welcome two new partners to deliver SolarBuddy’s Hour of Power. Team Building Co. in Thailand and Conundrum Adventures in Canada will be bringing our one-of-a kind, team-building experience to more employees globally, supporting us to raise awareness of energy poverty and bring about change!

We are also excited to announce a new partnership with the Australian Power Institute who are supporting our Social STEM in Schools program.

Illuminating remote communities in South Australia??

Our Illuminating Communities Initiative (ICI) partners with socially responsible, sustainably-minded organisations to bring clean, safe, reliable lighting, as well as immersive Social STEM education opportunities, to remote communities.

Did you know:?SolarBuddy distributes solar solutions to many countries that experience energy poverty, however even in the developed country of Australia, approximately 513,000 people live in off-grid locations, where electricity supply is characterised by low levels of reliability at a higher cost. This disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, with 51% of First Nations peoples residing in regional and remote areas.??

Read more about our impact in Australia to date

Thanks to collaborative partnerships with Goldman Sachs and Airbus we have had the privilege of visiting and illuminating two communities in South Australia’s APY Lands.?

Illuminating Pukaja with Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs supported youth community engagement in the remote Aboriginal community of Pukatja by providing solar floodlights for the new youth centre’s outdoor spaces and for the community’s first swimming pool.?

Illuminating Amata with Airbus

In the community of Amata, with the support of Airbus, enabled the community to safely enjoy social activities after dark, by installing solar floodlights to the community basketball court.??

As part of both programs 50 JuniorBuddy lights were gifted to students to assemble and keep as part of an immersive Social STEM education experience.?

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Goldman Sachs and Airbus for their invaluable support in making the Illuminating Communities Initiatives in Pukatja and Amata a reality. We would also like to thank Leadsun for installing the solar flood lights. Leadsun generously donates the entirety of their time for installations, allowing us to reach more people experiencing energy poverty in Australia and at no extra cost to the community.

Leadsun developed the first all-in-one LED solar street lights, and have been creating a positive impact on the environments they illuminate since 2008. The installation of these lights require no excavation or spoils, they are suitable for all wind categories and soil types, and for hard to access, sloping or remote sites.

Read more about our work in Amata with Airbus.?

In the spotlight: Lighting up Lau Province?

Thanks to the passion and commitment of our wonderful in-country distribution partner Lau Education, 95% of students in the Lau Province of Fiji now have a SolarBuddy light.

With only three more islands to go, this is an incredible achievement!!

SolarBuddy - Carbon Neutral and the importance of Decarbonisation

Decarbonisation is vital for us as it supports our mission to provide renewable energy solutions, helping to improve energy access in remote areas and promoting environmental sustainability alongside social equity.

Read more about NetNada & SolarBuddy

Impact Map

Have you seen our recently published impact map? Take a look at the regions we are so proud and privileged to distribute lights!

Check out Our Impact page!

Partnering with SolarBuddy?

Let's create a wave of change together! We collaborate closely with partners to maximize impact. Get in touch today to explore how we can light up future possibilities to illuminate futures!

Brand Partnerships at SolarBuddy