Chalo Lelo

Changemaker: Mapalo Mulenga

Country of implementation: Zambia

In Zambia, where many children dream of a working light bulb, energy 

poverty devastates education. Mapalo experienced this firsthand, losing his own ambitions while studying for exams by candlelight. Though he initially felt powerless against a decades-old problem, he realized his strength was in uniting people to make a difference with what they had.

After educating himself on the crisis, Mapalo gathered passionate peers. They started small by donating books, and their efforts evolved into the organization Chalo Lelo, meaning “the world today.” Now, Chalo Lelo establishes mini-libraries and provides clean, safe solar lighting to low-income schools, creating ever-lit reading spaces where there was once only darkness after dark.

With the motto 'lighting up classrooms literally and figuratively,' Chalo Lelo delivers affordable solar power to vulnerable students, including girls, refugees, and those with disabilities. The organization also provides educational materials and skills workshops, helping communities join the green energy transition.

As a result, students can study longer and in better conditions. Their morale has increased, and they have begun to dream again, seeing the sky not as the limit, but as the benchmark.