Recently, Cooler Planet decided to partner with a non-profit called SeeYourImpact. In our never ending quest to help people take steps to reduce their impact on the planet we are working with SeeYourImpact to bring the power of solar energy to impoverished villages in India! The idea at SeeYourImpact is simple. Connect hundreds of millions of donors to billions of beneficiaries, in virtually any cause area (including solar), anywhere in the world, one small gift at a time. As you will see below, donors are connected to the actual beneficiary and can personally witness the power of their small gift.

After hearing the buzz about SeeYourImpact we decided to try the process out for ourselves. With the help of SeeYourImpact we picked a cause; naturally, at Cooler Planet, we gave a gift to The Restoring Force, who's mission is to bring light and thereby prosperity into the lives of people living in remote villages in India by providing them with Solar Lanterns. In a few minutes, our gift was processed at SeeYourImpact and The Restoring Force was notified about the donation of a solar lantern. Recently, we found an interesting email in our inbox:

Darkness gave way to light when a solar lantern entered the home of Ramnabai thanks to help from Cooler Planet and The Restoring Force. Prior to this donation, Ramnabai had lived her entire life without electricity. Each evening, she hurried home from the fields to prepare dinner before the sun set and darkness enveloped the traditional mud home she shares with her husband and two children. Click here to read the entire story.

Wow, what an amazing story! As you all know, Cooler Planet makes it simple to quickly find green businesses and service providers in your area. We are excited to see real life examples about how solar technology can be applied in other areas of the world to provide a stable source of light for families.

We encourage you to visit SeeYourImpact, check out the solar lantern project at The Restoring Force and support the spread of solar technologies to impoverished families around the world! Also, keep your eyes out for more projects at SeeYourImpact as they expand in 2010.