Light for the world: A chat with Econic Earth's Nicole Watson

Did you know that in communities without electricity, children often struggle to stay in school long-term?

Picture it: You’re a busy kid in a rural community in rural East Africa who not only attends school but also must complete a variety of chores at home daily – collecting water, feeding livestock, and taking care of younger siblings. You might have to spend an hour or more just walking to school each day. By the time you make it home and finish everything else you have to do, there’s no daylight left with which to study or do homework. It’s all too easy for students in these communities to fall behind and miss out on opportunities – especially girls.

California-based nonprofit Econic Earth, which focuses on creatively using renewable energy solutions to address social problems, offers a simple solution: solar lamps.

This year, the organization has partnered with ChildFund to deliver solar lamps to nearly 12,000 students in Kenya and Zambia through their Watts On Lighting Students' Lives program. The partnership is expected to reach many more thousands – even millions – more young people within the next several years.

We sat down with Nicole Watson, Econic Earth’s founder and CEO, to learn more about what drives her to improve children’s lives through solar power and why she decided to partner with ChildFund to scale her company’s impact.

ChildFund: To start, we'd love to learn more about you and how you founded Econic Earth. Can you share the story behind the foundation, and particularly the Watts On program? Were there any childhood experiences or influences that sparked your passion for renewable energy?

Nicole during a recent visit to Zambia to distribute solar lamps as part of the Watts On Lighting Students Lives program in partnership with ChildFund.

Nicole: As a child growing up in a small town of 7,000 people in Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada, I was always surrounded by nature and wildlife. From a young age, I developed a deep passion for conservation. I understand now how those early experiences continue to influence my work, especially when I’m working with students in rural areas. I remember how impactful it was when someone from outside my community came to share new knowledge or experiences, as my dream was to explore the world. It opened my eyes to the broader world and allowed me to dream bigger.

Econic Earth was founded after spending 15 years in the film industry, both in front and behind the camera. I’d taken some nonprofit management and fundraising courses, spent time in India and Bangladesh and volunteered for some NGOs, including School on Wheels in Los Angeles, tutoring children in transitional facilities and those coming off the street. I was looking for even more impactful ways to apply my skills and reach more students.

I connected with a solar company, helped them raise funding, and realized how powerful solar technology could be in bridging the worlds of environmental and social impact. We launched our first solar installation project in India in 2015 after setting up Econic Earth.

From India, we moved to Kenya in 2019. After visiting some off-grid communities, building a school and library facility and launching a pilot project of the solar lamp distribution, building on our program partners’ work and researching similar programs, we saw the potential to build a program with even greater impact – one with more evaluation monitoring components over a longer period and ongoing support for students. This eventually birthed the Watts On program.

The program itself focuses on providing solar lighting to students who live without electricity. While filming a documentary about the program, LIGHT, we spoke with students, parents and teachers who’d participated in our program and discovered just how impactful the solar lights were. Beyond the academic benefits, which we monitored by comparing examination scores, we learned that the lights were bringing a level of safety to communities – keeping women and children safe from potential attackers at night. This revelation reinforced the importance of scaling the program, and I realized that solar lighting could be a beacon of hope, providing both safety and educational opportunities for thousands of children and families.

It’s amazing that you were able to see results beyond what you expected. How did you begin partnering with ChildFund?

It all started with a bit of serendipity. I attended COP28 in Dubai on a minimal budget. I had a feeling I should go, and I had lined up some meetings there. It was at a Slow Factory roundtable that I put up my hand and shared insights about the health and wellness impacts of our solar lighting program.

Afterward, two women approached me – one of whom was Keeva Duffey from ChildFund – and they expressed interest in what I was doing. We exchanged contact information, and later that day I met with several other ChildFund team members over lunch, including Chege Ngugi, Africa Regional Director. This chance meeting led to discussions about how we could work together. I was scheduled to travel to Kenya soon after to launch our 2024 program, so we arranged to meet again. Soon after, we formalized our partnership and began planning our collaborative program for 2025.

How does partnering with an organization like ChildFund help Econic Earth accomplish its goals?

Partnering with ChildFund has been a game-changer for us. It’s like plucking a dandelion and watching the seeds fly.

ChildFund’s global reach and sophisticated infrastructure have given us the framework to scale our program internationally, reaching more children in need faster and more effectively. They’ve helped refine our reporting metrics, expanded our access to new off-grid communities, brought in logistics support, and allowed me to focus more on fundraising for the solar lamps and materials costs and sharing our stories of impact on the global stage. The partnership has opened doors to new possibilities, enabling us to layer additional programs onto Watts On and provide greater support to the communities we serve. It has also inspired a new vision – to reach 1 million students (or more) globally by 2030.

Before working with ChildFund, that seemed unimaginable, but now it feels within reach. Chege, the ChildFund Africa director, thinks we can reach 5 million. Let’s see!

Children and parents register for Econic Earth solar lamps at a distribution day in Zambia.

Can you tell us about the impact Econic Earth and ChildFund have made on children’s lives together so far?

So far, we've reached some of the most remote and off-grid communities in northern Kenya and Zambia – areas that many NGOs don’t access. By focusing on rural regions, human-wildlife coexistence zones, and areas without electricity in the homes or at school, we've been able to deliver solar lights to children in some of the most underserved communities and into regions the light would have the most impact.

This year, we’ve impacted nearly 4,000 students together, with an ongoing program which will bring us to 12,000 this year and a further goal to reach 1 million by 2030. The Watts On program has brightened the lives of thousands, providing not just light but a safe, empowering space for students to study and thrive.

What are some of the key benefits of solar lights for children in under-resourced communities?

Here are some of the major impacts we’ve seen from the program:

• Improved educational performance and attendance
• Cost savings for families by reducing the need for kerosene
• Environmental benefits, including reduced deforestation and carbon emissions (approximately 92kg of CO2 annually per lamp)
• Health and well-being improvements, including reduced eye and lung infections, fewer insect bites, and greater overall safety
• Increased safety and security, as the lights discourage criminal activity around homes, especially protecting women and children
• Reduced human-wildlife conflict, as the lights can deter predators like hyenas and elephants

You recently traveled to Kenya and Zambia to see the impact of your program in ChildFund communities. What were some highlights or memorable moments for you, and did you meet any children who left an impression on you?

Absolutely. My recent trip began in Kenya in January 2025. One moment that really stood out was when we arrived at Bubisa Primary School way up in the arid north on the road to Ethiopia.

As our team stepped out of the car, we were greeted by students holding a huge banner with the Watts On Lighting Students’ Lives program name. It was the first time all the teams – Econic Earth, ChildFund, Nawiri and YAFNET – came together in such a big way. As all of us walked alongside the hundreds of students as they sang, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and support. After working so hard on this program for years, it was incredibly moving to see such a large team behind us, all working to make a real impact. That moment of unity and shared purpose is something I will never forget.

In Zambia, it was my first time in a country where I had no prior experience, so it felt very new and exciting. From meeting the ChildFund team to traveling to program locations, training staff, and rolling out the program, everything went smoothly, and I was impressed by the professionalism and dedication of everyone involved.

One particularly memorable moment was when the County Education Director shared that mothers in the community were already calling her with so much hope, asking if the solar lamps were really coming. Their excitement and anticipation for the future of their children was so palpable. That hope, coupled with seeing the students’ pride on distribution day as they registered their lamps with their parents, is what truly touched me.

One of the most inspiring stories I learned on my last trip revolved around a student who received a light via our pilot program in 2019. She has now been accepted to attend her first year of college, pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher. Seeing this success is exactly the kind of result we hope for, and it motivates me to keep pushing forward with our mission.

Excitement at a solar lamp distribution day in Kenya.

Here at ChildFund, we often talk about how childhood is a critical stage in a person’s life. Any thoughts on that?

Childhood is the foundation for everything that follows. If children don’t receive an education or perform poorly at school, their future opportunities are limited, and they are more likely to remain in poverty for the rest of their lives.

The experiences and opportunities children have – especially in marginalized communities – shape their future and set the trajectory for their adult lives. Even a small bit of support, motivation, or access to resources can provide a child with the tools to succeed and break the cycle of poverty. That’s why we focus on upper primary school children, as this is the stage where many drop out.

“I hope to achieve my dream of becoming a pilot,” says Ibrae, 14, in Kenya.

Anything else to add?

I can’t speak highly enough of ChildFund. From my experience, their teams are incredibly organized, thoughtful, and dedicated to improving the lives of children. They approach every project with the utmost respect for the local communities and are committed to creating meaningful, lasting change. Working with them has been an amazing experience, and I encourage anyone who is considering partnering with or donating to ChildFund to do so. By supporting organizations like ChildFund and the Watts On program, we can continue scaling these critical efforts to make a global impact.