Our Story
Energy is more than just light, it’s opportunity. Access to clean energy transforms lives, creating income, prosperity, and sustainability.
Mission
At Smiling Through Light, we work with a network of local women to bring clean, reliable, and sustainable solar energy to communities in Africa, through the distribution and sales of solar products.
Vision
A brighter future through solar energy. We strive to provide women, girls, and their communities with access to clean energy while creating jobs and lifting them out of poverty.
Our Founder
Mariama Kamara started Smiling Through Light after a trip to Sierra Leone in 2011, where she worked with Restless Development as an SRH Curriculum Development Technical Assistant. Witnessing the challenges of energy access firsthand, she was inspired to create a sustainable solution that empowers communities through clean energy.
With extensive experience in international development, Mariama has worked on projects related to science & technology, HIV prevention, microbicides, education, and innovation. She has collaborated with organizations such as SciDev.Net, African Health Policy Network, VSO, DFID, SIDA, the UN, and Africa UK. She holds an MSc in Development Studies from Birkbeck University and a BSc (Hons) in Psychology.
“I understand the importance of energy from my own experience. When I was a young girl growing up in Sierra Leone, I studied by a kerosene lamp at night. The effect that this had has stayed with me throughout my life. It is why I believe in the importance of sustainable energy and the need to work in collaboration with different organizations to ensure that individuals have the opportunity to access relevant energy sources, particularly solar.”