ONE launched a campaign in 2013 in support of legislation that would enable both public and private partners to invest in Africa’s energy future. In 2015, 7 in 10 people in sub-Saharan Africa lacked access to electricity. When countries can provide more access to electricity, the results are extraordinary. Students in Sudan, for example, were able to improve their pass rates from 57% to 97% after just one year with electric lights.
Our goal was to help sub-Saharan African countries modernise their power infrastructure and increase their access to electricity — saving lives, strengthening education, alleviating extreme poverty, and accelerating both growth and development in the process.
Impact
The Electrify Africa Act passed with bipartisan support in Congress, and was signed into law by President Obama.
Power Africa continues the hard work of implementing power projects across Africa with the goal of providing millions of people with modern energy.
What we did
- ONE wrote policy reports, drafted legislation, and talked with key members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to get this passed.
- We produced an open letter from African and NGO leaders supporting more than two dozen African nations that committed to providing universal energy access by 2030.
- NGOs from Tanzania and Nigeria wrote open letters supporting the initiative.
- For four years, hundreds of thousands of ONE members signed petitions, wrote letters, sent tweets, and made calls in an effort to ask Congress to pass the bill.
Inspired?
See some of our ongoing campaigns and learn more about how you can lend your voice to fight against extreme poverty.
