Doctor brings 'Solar Suitcases' to hospitals without reliable power

Dr. Laura Stachel and her husband, Hal Aronson, who teaches solar electricity in California have designed a solar electric system that fits inside a suitcase, according to an article on the People website.

In May 2010, they officially launched the non-profit We Care Solar, which distributes Solar Suitcases. We Care is an acronym standing for “Women’s Emergency Communication and Reliable Electricity.”

We Care Solar has given out 4,000 Solar Suitcases to date. In some countries, women in labor have to bring their own candle. One midwife didn’t have a candle — she just had a match. The birth was difficult, Stachel says, the midwife told her assistant to light the wall calendar on fire, according to the article.

Stachel and her team recently launched a new initiative, Light Every Birth. The goal is to raise millions to fund Solar Suitcases for every public health center in five countries in five years.

Read the article.