2025-03-31T07:48:34-07:00 2024-12-31 582361357 GREGG S BOSSEN CPA PC 50 LENOX POINT SUITE C ATLANTA GA 30324 990 2024-01-01 854380654 LIGHT UP A VILLAGE LIGH 2483421779 3919 BRIARBROOKE LANE ROCHESTER MI 48306 MARIE OMEKANDA Treasurer & Sec 2025-03-31 true true Gregg S Bossen P01444127 4048929513 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z 3919 BRIARBROOKE LANE ROCHESTER MI 48306 240890 false X lightupavillage.org X 2021 MI The goal of our non-profit organization is to help impoverished and disadvantaged communities of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, become self-sufficient by implementing changes in development sectors such as education, entrepreneurship, electricity, and agriculture. "Education Energy Entrepreneurship for ALL" is our tagline. 7 7 0 9 0 197460 240890 0 0 1935 0 199395 240890 2643 0 0 0 0 5798 197936 241123 200579 241123 -1184 -233 2517 1373 1458 547 1059 826 The goal of our non-profit organization is to help impoverished and disadvantaged communities of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, become self-sufficient by implementing changes in development sectors such as education, entrepreneurship, electricity, and agriculture. "Education Energy Entrepreneurship for ALL" is our tagline. false false 212881 The following programs were conducted in 2024:Our non-profit organization is dedicated to helping impoverished and disadvantaged communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo achieve self-reliance. We focus on implementing reforms in key development sectors such as education, entrepreneurship, electricity, and agriculture. Our tagline, "Education, Energy, and Entrepreneurship for All," encapsulates our mission to empower local communities and foster sustainable progress. In 2024, we undertook various field projects in villages near Kinshasa, including Menkao, Kingakati, and Mpanoka. The Sankuru province was targeted for solar photovoltaic electrification of hospitals, enabling cold storage of medications and sterilized equipment for surgeries. Our team also emphasized entrepreneurial training for small-scale farmers and rural entrepreneurs to help them access markets and enhance their livelihoods. These efforts aim to address the longstanding challenges faced by the Congolese people, such as unreliable electricity, limited access to quality education, and the struggle for economic self-sufficiency.Solar Photovoltaic Electrification:One of our key initiatives involved installing solar photovoltaic systems in rural health facilities to provide reliable electricity for critical services. In the province of Sankuru, we collaborated with local authorities to equip several hospitals with solar-powered systems, ensuring the availability of refrigerated storage for essential medications and an ability to sterilize medical equipment. These interventions aimed to address the lack of power that has compromised the quality of healthcare delivery in these remote village areas. The deployment of solar solutions in these underserved communities has had a tangible impact on the lives of patients and healthcare workers, empowering them to provide better care. A $10,000 photovoltaic system was purchased and installed in the rural market of Djalo village in June 2024, providing a lighting system to extend the daily hours of business operations for local businesses. In July 2024, two 5-kW solar microgrid systems were installed in the rural hospital and the primary school in Mbakana village of the Maluku region, in the DRC Bateke Plateau. In August 2024, a 15-kilo Volt-Ampere photovoltaic system was purchased and installed in the General Hospital of Lodja, in Sankuru province of the DRC, for approximately $18,000. A similar investment was made in the Lubefu Hospital of Sankuru province to electrify the rural health center with a 12 kVA system purchased and installed for close to $14,000. Similar 12 kVA minigrid photovoltaic systems were deployed from October to December 2024 in the health clinics of Katako-Kombe, OshingUntu, and Bukama villages of Sankuru for approximately $13,800 each.Education, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM):In 2024, we partnered with local schools and community centers to establish STEM education programs in several villages and rural cities of the DRC. In Kinshasa, we collaborated with local schools and universities to train teachers in modern teaching methodologies and provide access to digital learning resources. Dr. Avoki Omekanda, President of the Light Up A Village organization, made several trips to the DRC to actively contribute to these valuable efforts. At ISTA University in Kinshasa, Dr. Omekanda set up science laboratories and computer labs to expose students to hands-on learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Light Up A Village organization contributed approximately thirty thousand dollars to ISTA-Kinshasa to establish mini-tuition grants of less than $300 each, assisting thousands of students from low-income families, especially female students.Agricultural Activities:The Light Up A Village (LUV) organization has rented nearly 50 hectares of arable land in the villages of Mpanoka, Menkao, and Inko, and has provided funding to purchase seeds for planting a variety of vegetables, including cassava, peanuts, tomatoes, and others. Rural agriculture, which depends on hoes and other hand tools, has been practiced by women from the local community. In some instances, the Light Up A Village organization has rented agricultural tractors to undertake labor-intensive agricultural activities that require substantial physical effort. Through the LUV initiative, tractors were rented to enhance the efficiency of agricultural processes and to increase the overall productivity of the workforce. To further boost productivity during the dry season, LUV is exploring the potential addition of irrigation pipes for watering plants. Currently, several irrigation infrastructure projects are underway. 212881 true true false false false false false false false false true false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 0 0 false 0 false false false false false false false 0 false false false false false false false X 7 7 false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false AVOKI OMEKANDA 2483421779 3919 BRIARBROOKE LANE ROCHESTER MI 48306 X AVOKI OMEKANDA President 40.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 EBENEZER NORMAN Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 ABRAHAM GEBREGEREGIS Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 MAZHARUL CHOWDHURY Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 CIZA SYLVIE NDEGEY Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 JANE OTSEIDU Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 MARIE P OMEKANDA Treasurer & Sec 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 0 false false false 0 240890 240890 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 240890 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1810 1810 0 0 0 0 0 8053 6543 1510 2937 2922 15 0 240 240 33839 28156 1420 4263 0 3397 50 3347 463 106 357 0 586 586 0 ELECTRIFICATION SUPPLIES 100693 100693 EDUCATION AND OUTREACH 39222 39222 AGRICULTURE SUPPLIES 22961 22961 SUPPLIES 21569 21569 5353 124 5219 10 241123 212881 22444 5798 562 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2931 1562 1955 1369 0 0 0 0 0 2517 1373 1458 547 1458 547 X 1059 826 1059 826 2517 1373 -233 X false false false X 3100 100685 197460 240890 542135 0 0 3100 100685 197460 240890 542135 0 542135 0 0 0 542135 X 0.00000 RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 2931 1562 1369 1369 CREDIT CARDS 547 547 Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b No review was or will be conducted. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 No documents available to the public.