Why We Donate to KWH

Longtime KWH donor, Joseph Decuir

This past May, during the Light Up the Night fundraiser, KWH raised over $36,000. Using these funds from the successful Light Up the Night event, KWH will begin construction on a new energy kiosk in Ntanga, Zambia, with the support of local partner Caritas Monze. This is just one example of how the generosity of people like you, KWH donors and supporters, contribute to the goal of ending energy poverty.

One KWH donor is Lisa Thimm, a Professor at St. Ambrose University in Iowa. Lisa explains how she barely understood what energy poverty was when she first heard about KWH. Says Lisa, “Before my involvement with KWH, I knew about energy poverty, of course. I knew there were huge numbers of people in the world who didn't have electricity. But in my very superficial way, I always just associated that with lights. Not having lights meant they couldn't read or study in the evening. I brought it back to education because that's what I do as a professor.”

Once Lisa became aware of KWH, its approach to solving energy poverty in communities resonated strongly with her. Says Lisa, “If there is a problem to be solved, you really work to understand what the problem is before you try to solve it. And if there is a community that has needs, you really try to understand what the needs of the community are before you try to solve them. What I love about KWH is they partner with organizations that are already there in the community rather than just coming in as outsiders. They work with local people and take the time to really understand the community’s needs. I think it is absolutely fabulous.”

Another KWH donor who shares Lisa’s belief that everyone should have access to development-enabling electricity is Joseph Decuir, an engineering professor at the University of Washington and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Says Joseph, “I support KWH directly because I know the people who volunteer there and their commitment to providing sustainable electricity to communities that lack this vital resource. Every soul, everybody, is precious, and everybody matters. We need to pay attention to people who don't have the resources they need. I will believe that until I stop breathing.”

Donors like Joseph and Lisa contribute for many reasons, but we all share the common goal of ending energy poverty through collaborating with local partners and communities.