From darkness into light

Imagine life without electricity. My household recently had no energy for five days because of high winds. It's not fun. That's the daily reality for about 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa — more than half of the entire population. Far more than the unpleasant experience I had for a few days, the lack of energy keeps people in extreme poverty, limits education, and results in loss of life.

Through World Vision's new 5-year water, sanitation, and hygiene business plan, Mapping the Blue Thread, we are starting to address this. Our water + energy work is starting small, with plans for scaling as we learn. This is an example of the innovation and integration with other sectors that we have committed to in our new plan.

World Vision has expertise in using solar energy to power water systems and, in fact, much of the energy required for a rural healthcare facility is needed to pump water. By adding battery storage to our plans, we can dramatically improve care at the facility by providing energy for lighting, cold storage for vaccines, and internet for telemedicine.   

Similarly, adding energy to schools improves education, allowing students to have computers and lighting. Providing energy in a community will also enable new business opportunities and World Vision's water efforts can be integrated with our efforts in health, education, and economic empowerment by providing energy.

Because we are new to the energy sector, World Vision is partnering with Give Power, a nonprofit known for delivering solar-powered solutions globally. Our first effort with Give Power is in Manga, a remote village in Zambia. I recently traveled to Manga with Jessy Samuyachi Mahongo, World Vision Zambia's manager of water and energy. It's so remote that we flew by helicopter and had to stop enroute to refuel. Jessy explained that Manga had no plans to be connected to the national energy grid.  

We met with the school principal who told us that before World Vision's efforts, the teachers taught the students about computers by showing them a picture of a computer.  Now that they have computers and internet access, the students are learning faster and their exam scores have improved dramatically.

At the health care center, the head nurse told us that because of their remoteness, they had no access to vaccines during the rainy season when travel is difficult. He introduced us to a woman who had severe bleeding during the birth of her child and whose life was saved because of internet access enabling emergency care for her. He no longer has to deliver babies in the dark of night and now they use an autoclave to properly clean instruments and prevent the spread of deadly infections. 

Without reliable energy, Manga had no restaurants, no refrigeration, no businesses that relied on energy. We knew there was potential to grow the local economy, but what we witnessed surprised us. We unleashed powerful market opportunities. People are lifting themselves out of poverty much faster than we expected. Now there are restaurants and businesses of furniture making and welding. One entrepreneur was making and selling popsicles as well as sewing clothes. A new market center has been created. Here's a video about my experience in Manga. 

We've reached a few thousand people with this effort so far and have plans to provide 20 or more systems in the next few years. Our plans include providing electricity through a 20-kilowatt solar mini-grid, clean water via a mechanized, piped-water system, local staffing and training, and internet-based remote monitoring.  

Thank you for investing in our global business plan to enable efforts like this.

Saving lives with improved healthcare

A new 2.5 minute video reveals how World Vision is transforming rural healthcare — and saving lives. Through the compassion of our donors and partnerships with leading corporations, improved healthcare now reaches one new person every 10 seconds. Dr. Anne Klamar, Chair of the Board of Directors of Midmark and a World Vision U.S. board member, reflects on the impact after returning to a clinic she once visited. 

World Water Day celebration

To celebrate World Water Day, World Vision is going LIVE every hour on the hour, Friday, March 20, starting from 8:00 am CT to 8 pm CT.  We'll start the day with a live Water Celebration in Mwala, Kenya!  Throughout the day, we'll highlight the great need for clean water and how you can help end the water crisis within a generation! I'll co-host with Lyndsey Deane Ratchford as we hear stories from around the globe about the life-changing impact people are making and personally experiencing through partnering with World Vision to serve the most vulnerable. You will be inspired, educated, and challenged as you learn more about the water crisis and how everyday, men and women are making a generational impact in the name of Jesus. Check out our power-packed guest lineup and add this must-see event to your calendar.

Add to your calendar of choice:

Come see the work

We have some spaces available to witness World Vision’s work; join me on a Vision Trip to Kenya March 23-28, 2026. Please contact your donor representative if you are interested.

Prayer requests

Thank God for the new innovations and integration in World Vision's water business plan that are enabling more people to lift themselves from extreme poverty and have fullness of life.

Pray that technology works well on March 20 so we can share wonderful examples of how our donors’ investments are transforming lives. Pray that during the event, our fundraising efforts exceed last year's incredible $3.7 million raised.

Pray that our focused efforts to share the gospel through our work continues to bring people from darkness into the light of salvation.