Zimbabwe
x We Care Solar

The power of solar to bring safer deliveries for every mother and newborn

Join us on an unforgettable journey to the heart of Zimbabwe, where our immersive cultural and learning experience will deepen our knowledge about public healthcare, maternal-newborn services, education, and solar power. Our rural clinic visits will be complemented with peer learning engagements for our daughters, bespoke experiences to better understand the local culture and excursions deep into the Zimbabwean landscape to see the wonder of its natural habitat and rich wildlife. Beyond its natural beauty and cultural richness, Zimbabwe beckons with open arms, inviting you on a journey of adventure, discovery and impact.

Summer, 2025
For Mothers and Their Adult Daughters

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Part 1 Illuminating Impact: A journey into solar-powered healthcare in Zimbabwe

Kicking off this journey, you will first touch land in Victoria Falls, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world to experience the jaw dropping waterfalls and deafening mist the locals refer to as “the smoke that thunders.” The Mpala Jena will be a welcome sanctuary for 2 nights, where you will enjoy some rest and relaxation to adjust to the time zone in a tented camp that showcases innovative solar-powered solutions in wildlife conservation. Owners Dereck and Beverly Joubert, well-known wildlife filmmakers, bring their passion for nature and storytelling to the experience—truly inspiring figures in conservation. The group cohort will begin the AtlasDaughters programming through an introduction to the big picture of philanthropy, preparing us for the frontline access to the health clinics that lies ahead. Victoria Falls sets the tone with its magical backdrop offering you unforgettable river and evening solar powered watering hole safaris.

Our second location welcomes you into riverside tents with spectacular views of the Zambezi river and opportunities to experience the bush by foot. Over the next few dyas and eager to dive in, the We Care Solar team will guide you in deep engagement with intimate access to the inside world of maternal-newborn healthcare. Our local nonprofit team will lead us through lush scenery to reach last-mile clinics, meeting with healthcare personnel and witnessing firsthand the impact of We Care Solar Suitcases. We will speak with midwives and hear their inspiring stories of resilience and dedication to improving maternal and newborn care.

In addition to seeing the effect of light on these clinics both during the day and in the evening, we will participate in a We Care Solar Suitcase installation - watching solar installers as they climb on rooftops to mount solar panels and teach health workers to use medical devices. We will join in local festivities as the community celebrates receiving the gift of light. One of the highlights of our trip will be engaging in hands-on learning activities with a Solar Suitcase teaching kit, empowering our group with the knowledge and skills to harness the sun's energy for a brighter future.

Beyond our grassroots interactions, our cohort will have the privilege of meeting with government officials from the Ministry of Health, getting an inside look at the importance of engaging government support to scale up solar-powered healthcare solutions nationwide.

This first part of our journey will leave both mothers and daughters with an understanding for early philanthropy concepts that span framing global challenges, understanding global players working to solve those challenges, power dynamics, what makes for great partnerships and lastly, firsthand experience with how nonprofits approach solutions for long-lasting impact. The first part of our trip will conclude with a stunning helicopter ride over Victoria Falls.

Our local nonprofit team will lead us through lush scenery to reach last-mile clinics, meeting with healthcare personnel and witnessing firsthand the impact of We Care Solar Suitcases.

Part 2 Wilderness Reflections: Synthesizing philanthropic insights in Zimbabwe

For the second part of our journey, we will bid farewell to our We Care Solar team and travel to the remote southeast where we will enjoy the restorative and incredibly special setting of the Singita Pamushana Lodge. Set within the 115,000 acre Malilangwe Wildlife Preserve, this stunning wilderness setting will provide the perfect backdrop for our group to reflect and synthesize all that we have experienced and learned from our time with We Care Solar, while enjoying breathtaking Safari experiences.

Our unique AtlasDaughters programming will evolve from macro understanding of philanthropy toward tactical approaches of impact for both our mothers and daughters. We will take our mother-daughter duos through workshops to identify family values, learn about different approaches to drive impact, inspire our daughters to become change agents within their communities and empower both mothers and daughters on a journey of self-discovery and plan for impact following the trip’s conclusion.

Our hosts at Singita Pamushana Lodge will lead our group on daily game drives to experience the wonder and bounty of the Zimbabwe natural landscape. Morning and evening tours will give us opportunities to view Africa’s iconic wildlife and promise bountiful wildlife sightings with their rich populations of species that include Hippo, Leopard, Rhino, Cheetah, Hyena, Giraffe and Buffalo, thanks to its deep commitment to conservation efforts. Our group will also enjoy an evening Hippo boat safari, sleeping under the stars, walking to caves with ancient petroglyphs and the cuisine and wellness amenities expected from a best-in-class retreat.

While short in length, both parts of our journey come seamlessly together leaving mothers and daughters with unprecedented moments of bonding where they will return home inspired to deliver impact for years to come and with memories that will last a lifetime.

About our
nonprofit partner
We Care Solar

To date, they have equipped 8,900 health facilities and trained 35,000 health workers - giving 15 million mothers and newborns a safer delivery.

We Care Solar saves lives in childbirth using clean energy solutions. Every woman has the right to a safe delivery. We Care Solar is on a mission to ensure mothers and newborns can deliver safely in a well-lit health center.

Annually, 300,000 women and one million newborns lose their lives during pregnancy and childbirth, mostly in Saharan Africa and South Asia, where more than 100,000 health facilities often lack electricity. Midwives and other health workers struggle to provide life-saving care in near darkness, relying on candlelight, kerosene lanterns, or cell phone lights. In near-darkness, procedures are often postponed or canceled, equipment lies dormant, and lives are lost.

We Care Solar provides last-mile health centers with innovative Solar Suitcases – compact, solar electric systems that give health workers “the power to save lives.” Solar Suitcases offer surgical lights, medical devices, and power for emergency communication, enabling midwives and doctors to provide immediate, around-the-clock lifesaving care.

To date, they have equipped 8,900 health facilities and trained 35,000 health workers - giving 15 million mothers and newborns a safer delivery. At the same time, their climate-friendly programs have averted more than 111,000 tons of CO2.

We Care Solar partners with governments, UN agencies, and international NGOs to lead national programs and build local capacity. Their gender-inclusive educational workshops promote women as solar installers and leaders.

We Care Solar is catalyzing a global movement for gender-inclusive climate action that has multigenerational impact, ensuring that every mother has access to safe and dignified childbirth.

Co-funding grant opportunity

We Care Solar is on a mission to Light Every Birth in countries with high rates of maternal mortality and poor electrification. Zimbabwe was the third national program that serves as a field visit site for this AtlasDaughters journey. Upcoming Light Every Birth countries include Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria and Mozambique. We Care Solar will reach 10,000 health facilities in the next five years, impacting 150 million community members and directly serving 30 million mothers and newborns.

This AtlasDaughters cohort will have the opportunity to collectively fund a $1M investment, which will support safe motherhood in 250 health facilities in key target countries, directly serving 750,000 mothers and newborns with the gift of light and life. The program will uplift community health care for a population of 3.75 million and provide support for years of sustainable programming.

Equipping each clinic with a Solar Suitcase means: