April's Brightest Updates from The Light Providers!
Founders Corner
As we close out April, we reflect on a decision we made early on when we set out to build The Light Providers. We weren't going to design products from a distance and hope they worked. We were going to go find out.
Our field researcher, Abu, traveled throughout Sierra Leone and into Liberia to sit down with people navigating daily life without reliable electricity. Not survey respondents. Real people in real homes and communities who had built their own strategies and workarounds around the absence of power. Thirty-two families. Conversations about cooking, studying, working, navigating homes after dark, and staying connected with family abroad.
One of those conversations stays with me.
Fatu has lived without reliable electricity for twelve years. Not an extended outage. Twelve years is the baseline condition of daily life. By the time Abu sat down with her, the light (pictured above) she had previously rewired herself to keep working had broken again. She was managing in the dark.
When Abu asked what goods she most looked forward to receiving, she didn't hesitate. Money and light. Not food. Not clothing. Light.
That's what we're here for. Not the most sophisticated product on the market. The right one for Fatu, for the millions of people whose daily reality looks like hers, and for the families in the US who love them and want to actually help.
Abu is still in the field. Still listening. We keep going back because the work doesn't stop when the product ships.
See what we found on the ground. Read the full field testing story here:Â
 — The Light Providers Team
Shining Our Light on Others (SOLOO) continues with the incredible Redeat Hable, founder of Habesha Made!
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We spoke with founder Redeat Hable, who shared how her brand brings authentic Ethiopian leather goods and clothing to the US, creating opportunities and connections. She's not just selling products; she's providing a way for people to represent themselves and feel a sense of home, no matter where they are.
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Today we’re testing Jeremiah's knowledge of Africa!
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Enlighten Africa Trivia is about more than answers. It is about honoring impact, celebrating excellence, and keeping history alive through conversation. Subscribe and follow along as we continue highlighting stories that shaped the world.
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See if you know the answer to this question:
👉 Who was the first African American woman to win an Oscar?
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