Are you afraid of the dark? What if you worked the night shift but feared your dark time duties because the chances of a mother dying under your care was a routine tragedy? It’s a terrible thought and a simply sad state. But it happens.

99% of maternal mortality occurs in underdeveloped countries. Many healthcare facilities and hospitals in these parts lack the adequate electricity to support the operations of delivery wards, surgical wards, essential hospital equipment and vital communications between physicians, midwives and nurses. So the lives of many mothers and babies become at risk, treatment is compromised and tragic consequences can ensue.

Your little one may have entered this world in the middle of the night for the outside world but inside, they were likely labored in a room of light and welcomed with a heart of hope. However, for the mothers who require emergency medical attention in places like Tanzania, Uganda or Ethiopia, they may or may not experience the same kind of birth story if their practitioners don’t have reliable resources or the ability to successfully perform the necessary procedures.

Dr. Laura Stachel and her husband, solar energy educator Hal Aronson, co-founded We Care Solar in 2010 to promote safe maternal care by providing portable innovation. This organization is literally providing the power to save lives. They created and designed the Solar Suitcase – a compact and portable solar electric system that fits in a suitcase. It has the capacity to power overhead LED lighting, charge cell phones, headlamps, fetal monitors and other essential medical devices. These plug-and-play Solar Suitcases facilitate timely, safe and appropriate emergency obstetric care and virtually improve the birthing outcomes for mothers and their newborns.

The Solar Suitcase is a fascinating concept with an inventive design that garnered increased demand as word spread of this striking solution. Since its founding, We Care Solar has partnered with other organizations, foundations and agencies that support their technological research, Solar Suitcase programs, and training and education. These collaborations have enabled them to improve the suitcase design and evolve into an organization that has now assembled and delivered approximately 1,900 Solar Suitcases to 27 different countries around the world. Each suitcase costs approximately $3,000; which includes the assembly, shipping and delivery, installation and usage training. Big or small, every monetary donation helps a healthcare facility gain access to this energy powered, life-saving device. Visit their website to learn more about the features of the We Care Solar Suitcase® at https://wecaresolar.org and learn how you can donate to help make sure no woman has to give birth alone, in the dark and without hope.

To support this month’s UrbanHero for a cause, we’d like to introduce this street-stopping geometric print that offers a hint of an Aztec style with a solid sequence of symmetry. The bold and brightly stained design will provide a powerful pep to your summer step. Pair it with your favorite understated tee for an overstated look. And since the summer days are all about the sun, this one will surely remind you of the power it has across our global ground and the life-changing efforts you’re involved with when you opt to dress yourself in this solar supporting stretch.

To learn more about our UrbanHero program, click here. Ready to jump right in and become an UrbanHero? Click here.