Chocolate Moose Media’s Solar Campaign wants to persuade millions of people without access to electricity to switch from the slow poisoning of kerosene lamps to renewable, affordable solar lights. The problem is most people in the developing world have no idea about the solar alternative.

We need your help to produce and distribute a series of 15 public service announcements produced by Peabody Award-winner Firdaus Kharas. They will be broadcast on television and radio, at public events as well as on all mobile platforms in 73 languages used in over 50 countries.

What We’re Doing And Why

Meet Sunny and Stubborn, two illuminating animated characters who use competitive humor to show why solar lights offer positive alternatives to traditional fuels. With your generous financial support, the pair will star in an entire series that will save lives and help the environment.

The Solar Campaign is not about selling solar lights. There are hundreds of organizations and companies that do this very well. We are working with all these companies to explain the benefits of switching. We will save and transform lives.

The Case For Solar

The World Bank estimates that living in a home reliant for evening light on kerosene and other fuels, like candles and wood, is equal to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. Imagine what a billion homes are doing to people’s lungs and to the earth’s environment. Here’s some more information from the WB.

Over 2.5 billion people in the world have no or intermittent access to electricity.

The effects of using kerosene: 

• traditional fuels can cause death, mostly from cardio-pulmonary disease; 50 percent of severe burn victims in some developing countries are victims of overturned kerosene lamps
• kerosene lamps give off 190 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year; that’s equal to operating 30 million vehicles
• the number of people living without electricity in Africa is expected to grow from 110 million to 120 million during the next decade.

The benefits of switching:

• kerosene can cost 10-25 percent of a family’s income. A solar light is a one-time expense - or a time-payment model - of about eight percent of that income.
• Solar energy is free, renewable and clean
• students can study 38 percent longer with solar lights.

Behaviour change through animation does work. Canadian film-and-video producer Firdaus Kharas has done it before with campaigns for condoms (The Three Amigos), malaria prevention (Buzz & Bite) and domestic violence (No Excuses). His projects have received staunch international support from the United Nations, hundreds of NGOs and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. 

How The Money Will Be Used

This is a truly worldwide campaign. One hundred percent of raised funds will be used to produce and distribute Solar Campaign’s public service announcements. Most of the funds will go to the animation studios that create the spots. Our ultimate goal is for the PSAs to reach every person in the world who has no access to electricity. 

Sunny and Stubborn have been developed (with seed money from Nokero, a solar-light maker and distributor) but other characters have to be created. Translating dialogue and versioning episodes into local cultures can cost as much as $2,500 per language. Distribution costs can be thousands of dollars for each broadcaster. Your help will connect solar lights with those who need them, and each supporter will receive thank-you gifts from Chocolate Moose Media. (See list at right. If your perk includes a t-shirt, please tell us what size you want.)

Actually you can donate any amount you want from $1 up. Every little bit helps.

If we surpass our goal, funds will be used for wider distribution: into 73 languages in 43 countries; via the distribution of 10,000 DVDs; and through the production of a stand-alone film. If we don’t reach a threshold amount, all funds will be returned.

Good health is key to alleviating poverty. People in the developing world know this. Here are some reactions from those who watched the presentation of the original Sunny and Stubborn encounter.

Art Medina, QS International Philippines -  “The widespread airing of this animated video will create what marketing calls AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Actions)."

Eureka Forbes, AVS India - "Great! Lovely work! Interesting and informative. This will certainly increase awareness of solar lamps."

Hakeem Shagaya, Nigeria - "Yes I believe things like this will help improve awareness and general understanding of the product and show rural people visually how they can benefit from what we are providing."

Here are some media stories on how the campaign happened:

http://www.solarnovus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5470:solars-behaviour-change-specialist&catid=76:guest-blogs&Itemid=353

http://www.unfolding.ca/index.php/a-new-approach-to-development-aid

http://news.yahoo.com/acclaimed-animation-producer-firdaus-kharas-social-innovator-nokero-070631388.html

http://rabble.ca/news/2012/07/firdaus-kharas-animating-public-service-and-social-justice

Any questions? Contact Firdaus at firdaus@chocmoose.ca.

Other Ways You Can Help

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