I was recently sent a portable power bank, Power a Life. My first impression was how stylish the little charger was – its slender frame and light weight make it a neat techy accessory that will slip easily into your bag, pocket or even on your belt, thanks to the clip on the back. I remember running my fingers over the brushed metal and thinking what a nice touch it was – quite luxurious and chic, particularly in the red and silver.
When I read the press release and accompanying literature, I felt stupid. I discovered that there was more to this nifty little gadget than I thought. Sure, I was delighted to have been given a useful and Instagramable portable charger because I always need to recharge when I’m on the go, particularly when traveling or attending events (and Snapchat really runs my battery down – find me @daydreamer.net), but it made me realise how superficial and unimportant so many aspects of my life are.
You see, the concept behind the product is really very special. Fondly referred to as a ‘wee pal’ by its creators Stephen and Jeremie, the Power a Life portable power bank helps kids in Africa to gain a better education: with every purchase, solar light is given to a child in Africa to allow them to study at night to get better grades, leading to more opportunities in life. For free.
It’s a brilliant idea, and I don’t see why more businesses aren’t proactive in generating support and help to those in need. If a new, independent business can deliver such a great product with such amazing results by addressing – and making an impact on – an incredibly important issue, then every single large corporation should be giving something back while their cash machines are ringing. I mean, most of them won’t even give 100% of proceeds to charity when they produce a charity driven product. With Power a Life, you can rest assured that your brand new iPhone won’t run out of power, but you can feel good in the knowledge that your purchase has helped to better educate a child in Africa. Perhaps they’ll go on to create something wonderful too.
I urge you to read the story behind Power a Life – Stephen and Jeremie studied together in Glasgow and after visiting West Africa in 2012, the wee pal was born as part of their vision to help sustainability development in Africa. Their innovation, dedication and commitment to making a difference is inspiring and I vow never again to complain about slow wifi or crap batteries.
You can help to Power a Life by purchasing one of five colours.
