Solar Suitcases

*This article was written based on information provided by Heather Jenkins

This year's proceeds from Wild Ride will support the amazing Solar Suitcase project.

In regions of the world where childbirth too often comes with fear and risk, light can be the difference between life and death. In Mozambique and Madagascar, where many health facilities lack electricity, Alongside Hope’s Solar Suitcase project is answering this need with hope, sustainability, and a deeply theological vision of care.

Across large parts of these two countries, maternal health centres operate without access to reliable power. Over half of all births occur at night, yet staff are often left to work by the light of a mobile phone held between their teeth. In these conditions, complications such as postpartum haemorrhage or newborn resuscitation are harder to manage. In Mozambique, the maternal mortality rate stands at 289 deaths per 100,000 live births, and infant mortality is 45 per 1,000. In Madagascar, the maternal mortality rate is even higher at 392, with an infant mortality rate of 40.5. In contrast, Canada’s maternal mortality rate is just 11 per 100,000, with fewer than 5 infant deaths per 1,000.

The Solar Suitcase offers a sustainable and life-saving solution. Developed by We Care Solar, the suitcase contains LED lights, headlamps, charging ports, and medical equipment, all powered by solar energy. These kits are specifically designed for childbirth in areas off the power grid. Once installed and the staff are trained, the system is low-maintenance and lasts up to 20 years, with the lithium battery replaced only once every five years.

The project began in 2016 through Alongside Hope’s All Mothers and Children Count initiative. Working with local partner EHALE in Mozambique’s Nampula province, 30 health facilities received solar suitcases. The impact was immediate. More than 80,000 women delivered safely under the light and care these suitcases made possible. Night deliveries doubled in more urban areas and increased 17.5 times in remote clinics. The momentum continued, and by 2022, 50 more suitcases had been installed.

The testimonies are moving. Domingas Joaquim, a mother in Muania, gave birth to three of her six children after her clinic received a solar suitcase. “If it were not for the solar suitcase one of my children would have died, or I would have died,” she recalls. When her baby required resuscitation and she experienced a haemorrhage, the light made swift, effective care possible. Nurse Cristina Kaunda Quilossa remembers a time before the suitcase: “To deliver babies at night, we used mobile phones or flashlights, holding them in our mouths.” Not only was this awkward and unsafe, it increased the risk of contamination for mothers and babies alike.

This is more than a story of smart technology or humanitarian aid. As Anglicans, it is about being bearers of light - literally and spiritually. As followers of Christ, we are called to stand with the vulnerable, to shine light in darkness, and to bring wholeness where the shadows of injustice and neglect still fall. Jesus’ words in Matthew’s Gospel shine clear: “You are the light of the world.” The Solar Suitcase project is a very practical expression of this call.

Looking ahead to 2025, Alongside Hope is deepening this work. The new initiative, Powering Maternal and Child Health Care in Mozambique and Madagascar, will complete the saturation of solar suitcases across Nampula province by equipping the remaining 35 clinics. Every government-run maternity clinic that delivers babies at night in Nampula will then have reliable, sustainable power. Alongside Hope is also expanding its work into Madagascar in partnership with PIVOT, installing 14 suitcases across three rural districts.

Thanks to the trust built through years of partnership, Mozambique has now become a priority country for We Care Solar. A new office in the capital, Maputo, will support maintenance and training, improving long-term impact.

In a world where despair often steals the headlines, the Solar Suitcase project reminds us what is possible when compassion, technology, and faith work hand in hand. Mothers are surviving. Babies are thriving. Clinics are transformed. And in places once overwhelmed by darkness, light is shining.

This year, proceeds from Wild Ride will support this critical project.  Thank you to all those participating!  You are truly helping us work towards a truly just, healthy and peaceful world.