When Niklas Inderst joined the My Doctor team as Chief Technology Officer, he arrived from Germany with a passion for building digital solutions to improve healthcare. But there was one problem he had not yet fully understood. Electricity.
On the ground in rural communities, he saw it clearly for the first time. Mothers arriving at night with sick babies. Community clinics struggling to treat hundreds of patients after sunset. Health workers straining their eyes under weak torches. And then he saw what happened when light arrived.
Babies delivered safely. Doctors working confidently. Communities receiving care long after darkness fell. In that moment, Niklas realised something powerful: Technology alone cannot save lives, energy makes healthcare possible.
The challenge Inderst witnessed is one faced by countless rural healthcare facilities across Africa. Without reliable electricity, medical equipment cannot function, vaccines cannot be properly stored, and emergency procedures become dangerous gambles performed in near-darkness. Research shows that solar-powered healthcare facilities can provide better care during childbirth, ensure medical equipment like infant warmers and incubators operate without interruption, and enable telemedicine initiatives that connect remote communities to specialist services.
When health workers are forced to deliver babies using flashlights, when vaccines must be transported 10 kilometres away to the nearest functional health facility, the consequences are measured in lives lost and opportunities missed. But when reliable power arrives, the transformation is immediate and profound.
The solution Inderst champions is Solar M7, a home solar kit designed to bring clean, reliable, and affordable energy to off-grid households. Launched in Uganda with a promise to distribute up to five million kits across the COMESA region, Solar M7 represents a movement to turn darkness into opportunity.
The Solar M7 kit comes with a battery, five bulbs, a solar panel, a phone charger, and a radio, all designed for simple operation and durability for low-income households. It boasts seven key characteristics: mobility, affordability, plug-and-play convenience, 24/7 availability, portability, ease of use, and reliability. The initial rollout included 1,000 kits donated to women leaders in remote villages teachers, midwives, and birth attendants who are the pillars of their communities.
The #100DaysOfSolar pilot in Uganda has already reached 1,500 households, positively impacting the lives of over 13,500 people. The results are striking. Families save up to $100 annually by replacing kerosene and charging costs. Children gain 10–15 extra study hours each week. Women access digital financial services and grow their decision-making power. Communities reduce carbon emissions and improve safety, health, and dignity.
For families like Faisi Nalubwama’s, the change has been life-altering. For years, her home smelled of burnt wood and smoke. At night, she and her daughters often stepped outside to eat beside a small fire, the dim glow barely holding back the darkness. The smoke burned their eyes, the wind carried sparks, and fear followed them every evening. Today, Solar M7 fills her house with calm, steady light. They dine together inside, laugh, talk, and pray without fear.
The connection between My Doctor’s telemedicine mission and Solar M7 is intrinsic. No advanced healthcare system can function without reliable power. Artificial intelligence requires electricity. Digital health platforms require electricity. Telemedicine requires electricity. Solar M7 represents the infrastructure layer upon which future healthcare innovation will be built.
Now imagine this impact at scale: 5 million households, 45 million lives, and 2.1 million tonnes of COâ‚‚ avoided every year. As Niklas Inderst reflects on what he witnessed in rural communities, he believes millions can join this mission turning darkness into health, safety, and opportunity.
Because sometimes, saving lives begins with something simple. One light.
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