Imagine a world without electricity; no mobile phones, no televisions and no computers. Worse still, imagine if you were unable to flick a switch and light up your home after dark. Many of us have become so reliant on electricity that it is difficult to picture life without it. Yet, 1.1 billion people across the world - more than one in seven - still do not have access to electricity or artificial light.

The 12,000 inhabitants of the Spiti Valley, a remote, high-altitude mountain region located in the Indian Himalayas, form part of this statistic. Having no reliable access to electricity and with winters lasting up to six months of the year, these communities spend large amounts of their lives in the dark.

The lack of this most fundamental service puts a stranglehold on the development of this region and its people. Without artificial light, life in the mountains grinds to a halt at sunset and for six long months during the harsh winters. Communal life stops, children are unable to study, and businesses are forced to close, causing livelihoods to suffer. Families are forced to use candles, kerosene lamps and fires to light up their homes - all too often with devastating consequences. These light sources increase rates of respiratory illnesses, eyesight deterioration and fires.

For the people of Spiti, light poverty and its detrimental impacts are avoidable. With renewable solar energy, these communities can have access to artificial light, dramatically improving their quality of life. Installing solar energy systems can provide sustainable lighting for homes as well as key public places such as markets and schools, without the need for costly infrastructure. These systems are easy to install and can provide clean and affordable energy for Spitian families.

Having access to sustainable sources of light, families can enhance their livelihoods, improve incomes, educate their children and experience increases in safety. Solar light will reduce health problems, depression and mental health illnesses.

Spiti Ecosphere, a social enterprise focused on conservation and livelihood development has been working hard to bringing renewable energy alternatives to the Spiti Valley. This locally-led organisation has begun installing solar energy systems and providing a variety of solar equipment to communities in the region. Spiti Ecosphere's work, however, only scratches the surface and they need your support to bring solar energy to many more homes.

Help Spiti Ecosphere end light poverty in the Spiti Valley by donating here today. Your generous donation will provide thousands of homes with electricity, enabling Spiti communities to prosper and thrive.