We see solar lighting as one of the strongest tools available to break the cycle of poverty.

Light gives hope, creates opportunity, and increases safety.

Watts of Love believes that everyone has equal value, and everyone deserves an opportunity. Watts of Love believes that light shines equally on all. We meet people exactly where they are in life and serve any and all that are in need.

Watts of Love intentionally seeks out the most vulnerable people in the developing world, who live without access to electrical light. We target the “last-mile” communities in greatest need of assistance. Often, these “hidden poor” live in garbage dumps, remote mountains, small islands, urban slums, and leper colonies. 

Not only do we focus on the hidden poor, but we invest in women. Women really hold the key to the finances of the home, and statistically, when women work, they invest 90 percent of their income back into their families, compared with 35 percent for men [Clinton Global Initiative: Empowering Girls and Women].

Watts of Love is unique and innovative. We have a very intentionally designed program where we do not just hand out lights—we invest in educating and empowering our recipients so there is an immediate, tangible impact from DAY ONE. 

We have developed a financial literacy curriculum using proven training material, while also listening to communities about what they believe their needs are. Our curriculum has proven to communicate cross-culturally and to reach people with little to no education. We have adapted our curriculum in response to what we have learned from the people with whom we work.

Financial independence is a foreign concept to those living in extreme poverty. We emphasize the importance of compound savings and of redirecting funds to buy an animal, start a business or send their child to school. 

By breaking the cycle of dependency on costly and dangerous kerosene, we teach people how to invest in their families, start a path to economic prosperity, break old perceptions of what is possible and see the potential for a new life. We tell our light recipients to pretend they are still paying for kerosene but instead pay yourself first and save that money. Just this one little step forward, if you are consistent with it, will change your life. 

The most important question we ask each light recipient is “How are you going to change your life?” Light recipients learn more than how to operate their new light. They learn how to leverage their new light into a stronger financial foundation, by setting goals that lead to poverty alleviation in one generation.