RS Group has announced a new three-year partnership with international development charity SolarAid.
Together, RS Group and SolarAid aim to deliver clean, safe solar lights to 150 000 people living in rural communities across Africa without access to electricity.
By combining corporate donations, matched funding, RS PRO product contributions, employee fundraising, and gifts in kind, RS Group will help accelerate SolarAid’s mission to create thriving solar businesses that tackle poverty and climate change.
Just one solar light benefits every member of the household, leading to a 90% reduction in kerosene, candles or torches, with a 95% saving on their energy spend and enabling a child to study safely for the first time after sunset.
It also reduces carbon emissions in the transition to renewable energy. A paraffin candle emits three times its weight in CO2 and a kerosene lamp emits over a tonne of carbon over three years.
RS and SolarAid are closely aligned as providers of products and solutions that support the low-carbon transition with a focus on renewables.
RS employees worldwide will be encouraged to get involved through skills-based volunteering, fundraising challenges, and awareness-raising activities. Planned initiatives include:
- Skills-based volunteering: RS experts will seek to support SolarAid projects, such as improving its Repair App, which helps communities extend the life of solar lights and reduce waste through simple repairs.
- On-the-ground engagement: Opportunities to visit SolarAid-supported communities in Malawi and Zambia, as well as welcoming SolarAid representatives to RS markets for live demonstrations.
- Active for Change: A global fundraising challenge where employees raise money by logging physical activity in teams.