Give the gift of light to Timor-Leste this holiday season

Give the Gift of Light this holiday season and help communities in Timor-Leste thrive.

In off-grid rural areas of Timor-Leste, solar energy is often the only electrical option to facilitate the provision of essential services. Electricity provides light to study for exams or to deliver a baby at night, power to recharge phones and operate computers and printers, and energy for record-keeping and printing educational materials.

For 16 years, Renew has worked with communities in Timor-Leste to provide clean, renewable lighting and electricity to people living in remote rural villages. We’ve helped install solar lighting and power to more than 2100 homes and over 100 community centres, orphanages, schools and hospitals. We have also helped train more than 180 village-based solar technicians who can then use their skills to provide value to their families and communities. All this work is powered by donations and grants.

There is plenty of work still to be done. Last year, Renew audited all of the solar systems we’ve helped install since 2003. The audit identified 40 systems that would benefit from ongoing support. We are also looking to do more intensive training of technicians on larger systems, something that is integral to the long-term sustainability of our projects. Contributions to the Gift of Light campaign and a new monthly donation program launching next year will help us achieve these goals.

Over the years, Renew has been able to do much of this work thanks to our Gift of Light campaigns. Every year around the holidays, we ask for tax-deductible donations to our project that can be used as a gift for a friend or family member. These funds enable us to leverage additional support from foundations and businesses and go towards improving the quality of life for thousands of people living in Timor-Leste.