Hip-hop artist Akon has dedicated his life to others when he isn’t performing or producing music. In this case, he has decided to use his fame and success to found the Akon Lighting Africa foundation. He hopes to supply electricity to 600 million people in Africa through the launch of a Solar Academy.
The academy is located in Bamako, Mali and it is meant to help young Africans develop the knowledge and skills to not only produce solar power, but to innovate the technologies involved. “We expect the Africans who graduate from this center to devise new, innovative, technical solutions,” said co-founder Thione Niang. “With this academy, we can capitalize on Akon Lighting Africa and go further.”
Their work has already begun. They have been establishing and maintaining solar-powered electricity systems and microgrids in rural areas, and their coverage is growing rapidly. You’ll see in the video below how much simple street lights have already made a massive impact on African communities. Africans are able to work longer, spend more time together, and feel safer as a whole.
Akon was born in the U.S but he spent much of his childhood in the West African country Senegal. He said “As an African, I always wanted to be in a position where I would come back and give back. I wanted to be able to use my celebrity and my success in a way that can help people.”