A #100DaysofSolar Human Impact Story from Kasenge Nakawuka, Uganda
For more than 30 years, Mbalekedde Namwando Makumbi dedicated her life to helping others enter the world safely.
Inside communities across Kasenge Nakawuka, mothers trusted her hands, her wisdom, and her courage during some of the most fragile moments of life. Long before modern healthcare became accessible to many families, Mbalekedde served as a traditional midwife, walking through darkness, storms, and uncertainty to help bring babies safely into the world.
Over the decades, she helped deliver more than 200 children.
For countless mothers, she became a source of calmness when fear filled the room.
She helped others begin life.
Yet in her own old age, darkness slowly began surrounding her.
At 84 years old, Mbalekedde’s nights had become difficult and frightening. A weak kerosene lamp barely lit her home. Thick smoke burned her eyes and filled the room with discomfort. The small flame carried constant fear of fire, especially for someone now moving more carefully with age.
Sometimes, even walking inside her own house after sunset felt dangerous.
For a woman who had once guided so many families through moments of life and survival, the darkness felt deeply painful.
Then Solar M7 arrived.
And for the first time in many years, peace returned to her nights.
Today, her home glows with safe, reliable light. The smoke is gone. The fear of open flames has disappeared. She now moves through her home with greater confidence and dignity, no longer trapped by the dangers and limitations that darkness once imposed on her daily life.
For Mbalekedde, the transformation feels emotional in ways words barely capture.
“Life became difficult for me because of the darkness and the kerosene lamp,” she shared during her interview. “Now I feel safe again. I can rest peacefully in my home.”
According to Doreen Nanfuka, elderly women who spent decades serving communities are often among the people most overlooked when it comes to reliable energy access.
“When you listen to women like Mbalekedde, you realize how much sacrifice they made for others throughout their lives,” Doreen explained. “Reliable light restores comfort, dignity, and peace to people who have spent years caring for entire communities.”
Innocent Kawooya says stories like Mbalekedde’s reveal the human depth behind energy access initiatives like #100DaysofSolar.
“Reliable light is not only about powering homes,” he noted. “It is about protecting dignity, restoring safety, and honoring people who have contributed enormously to society throughout their lives.”
Today, nights inside Mbalekedde’s home no longer feel filled with fear.
The smoke no longer burns her eyes.
The darkness no longer controls her movement.
And for a woman whose hands once guided hundreds of babies safely into life, Solar M7 is now guiding her gently and safely through the final chapters of her own journey.
With peace. With dignity. And with light.
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#100DaysofSolar #SolarM7 #IncludeEveryone #MaternalHealth #EnergyAccess #HumanImpact #Nakawuka #Uganda #CleanEnergy #HiPipo
