Vignette, through funding provided by the ONE campaign, documented stories about energy poverty across Sub Saharan Africa.
In today’s world, having access to energy and the Internet is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for survival. Being connected translates to access to education and economic opportunity.
But keeping phones charged is a challenge in a country where only a quarter of the population have access to energy.
This story was featured on the Huffington Post and on Mashable.
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- A Maasai man holds up a newly obtained solar lamp which can be used to keep predators away from the herds, in the village of Koora, Kenya, Tuesday, August 18, 2015. That day, in this small village, a local NGO came to give them solar power for the first time ever. Up until then there was no light at night for children to study by, or to keep predators away from the herds. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- John Keko Mututua, age 16, checks his cell phone after the sun sets, in the town of Susua, Kenya, Thursday, August 13, 2015. John studies in his hut during the day, and just a few months before had to stop once the sun went down. His uncle, next door, recently received solar power from a local NGO, and now he goes over there to study in the evenings. He sees a marked improvement in his grades even in the short months since. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative, as is the case with John. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- Cell phones are seen charging in a mobile shop in the town of Susua, Kenya, Wednesday, August 12, 2015. Dennis Njoroge, the owner of the shop, not seen, says some days he charges up to 300 phones an hour with another 200 phones queuing. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- Dennis Njoroge, center, the owner of a cell phone shop, waits on customers who want to charge their mobile phones, in the town of Susua, Kenya, Friday, August 7, 2015. Some days Dennis charges up to 300 phones an hour with another 200 phones queuing. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- Cell phones are seen charging in a mobile shop in the town of Susua, Kenya, Wednesday, August 12, 2015. Dennis Njoroge, the owner of the shop, not seen, says some days he charges up to 300 phones an hour with another 200 phones queuing. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- A Maasai woman checks her phone as she sells jewelry at the market in the town of Susua, Kenya, Wednesday, August 12, 2015. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- A Kenyan Maasai man holds his cell phone as he stands next to his cattle, during market day, in the town of Susua, Kenya, Wednesday, August 12, 2015. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- Kenyans are seen outside of a mobile shop where they can recharge their phones with M-PESA, which allows people to use their mobiles to pay for everything from groceries to buying cattle in the town of Susua, Kenya, Wednesday, August 12, 2015. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- Kenyan children study in Nkika Mututua’s new eco-manyatta, a traditional style home that has a solar panel which provides light after sunset, in Susua, Kenya, Thursday, August 13, 2015. Nkika’s family recently got solar power from a local NGO, where his many children and neighbors can go and study at night. Just a few months before, the fire inside the hut was the only way to read in the dark. Nkika is also now able to make a small living by people coming to recharge their cell phones — he gets 50KS per phone charging. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative, as is the case with Nkika’s home. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- John Keko Mututua, age 16, left, studies with other children in his uncle’s eco manyatta, a traditional home that has a solar panel which provides electricity after dark, in the town of Susua, Kenya, Thursday, August 13, 2015. John studies in his hut during the day, and just a few months before had to stop once the sun went down. His uncle, next door, recently received solar power from a local NGO, and now he goes over there to study in the evenings. He sees a marked improvement in his grades even in the short months since. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative, as is the case with John. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- Jane Anika, right, from Green Energy Africa, a local NGO, shows two Maasai girls how to use a solar lamp, in the village of Koora, Kenya, Tuesday, August 18, 2015. That day, in this small village, a Green Energy Africa came to give them solar power for the first time ever. Up until then there was no light at night for children to study by, or to keep predators away from the herds. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
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- A newly obtained solar lamp is put on a pen to keep predators away from the herds at night, in the village of Koora, Kenya, Tuesday, August 18, 2015. That day, in this small village, a local NGO came to give them solar power for the first time ever. Up until then there was no light at night for children to study by, or to keep the herds safe. Many people in Africa don’t have access to power in their homes and will walk many miles to charge their cell phones. In Kenya people almost can’t live without their mobiles, they use it to pay for most things and connect with the world — they use their mobiles instead of physical money, which is a lot safer and more practical. In nearly every location globally, at every demographic level, people possess some form of cell phone in todayÕs hyper connected world. Be it an iPhone or the simplest Nokia, the anxiety born of a fading battery has emerged as a common human experience. In villages, slums and any poorer area of Africa, charging stations have become the central social circles. The consequences of lost connections are palatable in Kenya, and the opportunities and growth that come with access to reliable power is transformative. (Photo credit/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
