Kai Tree: Sodimac Christmas campaign lights up the life of villagers in north Colombia

In Colombia 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, Sodimac Homecenter, Colombia's leading home supplies chain, decide to save up energy by not having Christmas lights in their frontstores. Instead - in partnership with Iluminando Project and the ANSPE- National Agency to Overcome Extreme Poverty) - they embraced a small project 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 and, at the same time, celebrate the Christmas spirit, McCann Worldgroup Colombia came up with the Kai Tree Project.

A Christimas tree named Kai Tree, created and designed in partnership between the agency and the villagers, resembling a cactus and lighted up 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, that since then can enjoy the Kay energy during nighttime.