How This DIY Warehouse Chain Lit Up a Colombian Village for Christmas

In Colombia, the 7th of December is known as 'Candles Day', a day when people light up their Christmas trees. However, in 2015, the country experienced its worst drought in years, which made Sodimac Homecenter, Colombia's leading home supplies chain, decide to save up energy by not having Christmas lights in their storefronts. Instead, in partnership with Iluminando Project and the ANSPE (National Agency to Overcome Extreme Poverty), they embraced a project small in size, but huge in its impact in lightning up the everyday life of Guajira, a community in the north of Colombia.

In Guajira, 20% of the inhabitants never had access to electric energy. To help minimize this hurdle while also celebrating the Christmas spirit, McCann Worldgroup Colombia came up with the Kai Tree Project.

A Christimas tree, named Kai Tree, was created and designed in partnership between the agency and the villagers. It resembled a cactus and was lit with sustainable solar powered lamps. Kai is the Guajiran word for Sun, and after the Christmas celebrations the tree was dissembled and its lights given to 400 families, who could then enjoy enjoy the Kai energy during nighttime.