Mission
World Solar Fund (WSF) is a non-profit organization, registered in the USA and Europe, which aims to improve the living conditions of vulnerable groups. We want to help people after a natural disaster and people that are living in refugee camps by giving them a source of electricity. This helps create a safer environment.
Also we want to help poor people in developing countries. We realize this by the introduction of several small-scale forms of solar energy and replacing traditional, non sustainable resources for lighting, such as kerosene, batteries and wood.
We aim to contribute to the reduction of environmental and health effects, such as the emission of dangerous fumes and CO2, resulting from the burning of fuel, and environmental pollution due to chemical waste (batteries) and reduction of the forest area as a result of logging.
With the introduction of lights on solar energy, WSF wants to contribute to the economic development in general and of individuals and local communities in devoloping countries. WSF supports local employment by promoting local assembly and/or production of solar lights and accessories.
WSF want to create awareness among people in the whole world, regarding to the living conditions mentioned above and possibilities to contribute to this improvement.
Goals
World Solar fund has three important targets: helping people in emergency situations, helping people in refugee camps and helping people in developing countries.
The solar lights provided by WSF have an S.O.S.- function to help people to safety after a natural disaster.
We want to make refugee camps safer, by providing a source of electricity.
By using the solar lights, children and students can study at night and hereby improve their educational level.
We want hospitals and clinics in developing countries to switch from kerosene lamps or candles to solar energy lighting. Thanks to solar energy, doctors in hospitals can continue to do their important work under all circumstances. Solar powered lights are also used as a backup during the regular power outages.
With spreading our products that work on solar energy, we want to reduce the environmental and health effects. We want to stop deforestation and thereby climate change.
We are spreading awareness about climate change and how to stop it.
We want to establish ‘partnerships’ with local NGOs, communities, governments, etc.
Raising Funds
We generate funds by:
How we work
We work together with the local partners to distribute our products. Because of the different circumstances of our target groups, we look at every project separately and decide what the possibilities are. The projects for people after a natural disaster ask for a different approach than the projects for people living in poverty or people living in refugee camps.
We have a system to help us give out solar lights in return for a small contribution to make them accessible for people with no money at all. For people who have the possibility to pay a small amount, we make the solar lights available for 1 dollar a month for a period of 3 years. By paying such a small amount of money for a period of time we can reserve an amount for people who have no money. This way the lights will be available for everyone! Here we also look at every project separately to decide what the possibilities are.
Plant a tree-program
For the solarcookers we use the plant-a-tree-program. The cookers are an alternative for the open fire used for cooking. For these fires a lot of wood is needed and therefor a lot of trees are lost. Deforestation is a big problem in a lot of areas.
By using the cookers, we save a lot trees. However a lot of trees have already been lost. With the plant-a-tree-program we want to help the environment. For every cooker we hand out, we ask the recipient to plant a tree and take care of this tree. This way we want to fight deforestation and help to restore the damage done in the past.
Board of World Solar Fund
Our board consist of people from all over the world. This is important to us, because we represent and help all the people in the world.
Executive board:
The executive board has formal legal responsibility and full decision-making authority. The executive board accepts responsibility for hiring, firing and monitoring the organization. The function as executive board member is a volunteer function and is without any compensation.
Advisory board:
The role of the advisory board is to support the executive board and give them advice as needed. When new projects arise, the advisory board members will be asked to advise the executive board and review the project. The advisory board has no decision-making authority. Once in every three months we will have a zoom conference with all the advisory board members and on occasion we will invite a board member to visit one of our projects or other relevant events across the globe. The function as advisory board member is a volunteer function and is without any compensation.
All board members are expected to know World Solar Fund’s policy and to follow the code of conduct.
Board members
Policy plan in short
World solar Fund is founded on the three pillars:
World:
We focus on places where natural disaster has occurred, on refugees all over the world and we want to create more equality by helping people in developing countries.
We all experience the consequences of climate change. There are more natural disasters where our help is greatly needed. When disaster strikes it is highly likely that power sources are needed. With our products people can have lights, keep their cellphones charged and send out S.O.S.. signals.
By providing our products to refugees and in developing countries we aim to provide a save power source, better for human health and better for nature.
Global Cooperation on the energy market has a future. But in reality, at this moment, it mainly worked on large-scale. Companies from industrialised countries generally choose projects with a greater size and therefore limit themselves to large urban cities.The WSF is going for the energy-turnover on a small scale, but global level. We choose to help all people in need, in different situations. We choose the people in direct need after disaster strikes and the people who had to leave everything behind to find safety, but end up in refugeecamps. We choose for reaching the poorest of the poor, of the population who are far from the industrialised areas of their countries.
At this moment we are working on a project in Cameroon. In the past 3 years we have worked together with our local partners and we did a feasibility study in Bamenda. The results of this feasibility study has been overwhelming. Because of these results we started working with more partners on this project.
We also started a pilot with the cookstove in Zimbabwe. We are working together with Peace SOS and our local partners. To start the project further we are also working with the local government.
Solar:
All research shows that solar energy is the best (in terms of cost/benefit ratio) and most sustainable (in terms of consequences for land and climate). The biggest advantage is: it can be individually entered, you do not need to build power stations, or a power supply. The solar lights we provide are solely working on solarenergy. The cookers we make available are working on a combination of the energy of the sun and biomass fuels.
To keep our solar technology up to date we engage with different universities for innovation, research and development purposes. This way we always provide people with up to date technology and knowledge.
Fund:
We want to generate recources as much as possible, so the poorest of the poor can benefit. That means that we either gather the resources to help people so we can give them solar lights, either money, provide for micro-credit, saving schemes etc. We are also open to creative financing solutions from the local population. WSF should be a fund of possibilities and opportunities.
Therefor also the exchange of knowledge is of great importance. A part of the funds will be spent on projects to build a knowledge pool for the energy market. Solutions to technical issues, are to be solved in global cooperation as much as possible.
We generate income from donations, sponsors, charitable events and workshops. Our local partners are also contributing to our projects.
Our revenue is used to finance our projects in developing countries. We are already working on varies projects in African countries.
We have a bank account in the Netherlands at Trios Bank and a bank account in the USA at Chase bank. Our finances are managed by the executive board and reviewed every year by an external accountant. We also publish our annual financial statement.
Products
Green Sun Light: led light and mobile charger
This portable light is easy to cary, because of its size. It is confiened to bring with you everywhere you go. This also means a phone can be charged where ever you are, in every circumstance.
Solar Cookstove
FUEL TYPES:
You can use the following biomass fuels:
- Dried dung
- Wood (chopped into small pieces)
- Biomass fuel pellets
- Bamboo
- Agricultural waste e.g. corn cobs
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 33 x 33 x 35cm
- Weight: 4.6 Kg.
- Fuel: Solid biomass. Wood pellets are recommended.
- Fuel Consumption:
- Full fan: 750 grams (8mm pellet) in 50 minutes.
- Low fan: 750 grams (8mm pellet) in 100 minutes.