My Lightbulb Moment: Using Solar Energy to Feed a Village | National Geographic

Energy is life. My light bulb moment came during a trip to a remote part of China in 1994. We delivered simple solar home systems to families that had never before experienced electricity. Witnessing these families flip a switch and have electric lights come on for the first time was simply magical. It inspired me to devote my professional life to helping bring electricity to people in need.

When our team from the Solar Electric Light Fund first arrived in Benin, we immediately met with the local community to discuss their needs. What we learned was that this region's dry season lasts for 6 months of the year, during which it's nearly impossible to grow crops. With the help of the local community, we installed solar-powered pumps to provide clean drinking water to the village and solar drip irrigation systems to water their crops.

This solution, called the Solar Market Garden, provides enough produce for the community to feed their families year-round. There's even enough left over to sell to market, earning money to maintain the system and educate others. Now that they no longer have to travel long distances to collect water, young girls can go to school and women can earn income for themselves for the first time.

The simple act of harnessing the power of the sun impacts every aspect of a person's life, from education to health care to putting food on the table. Now that's a light bulb moment!