We’ve all heard of the butterfly effect, how one small decision can make a big difference. When we put our money into a worthy cause, whether it be putting our loose change in a donation tin or choosing a responsible investment option for our super, we rarely get to hear about the individual lives we helped shape. While visiting a small project based in Senegal, Cyrille Arnould (Head of GEEREF) was fortunate enough to meet a woman whose life was affected profoundly by his team. “To be honest, at first I thought she was mad at me”, he chuckled as he recalls the moment an excited Senegalese midwife approached him with such enthusiasm that she was kicking up the dirt from the road as she ran, waving her arms to get his attention. It took a minute for Cyrille to realise she was simply trying to thank him. With the help of a translator, he learned that while his team were installing a pilot solar water pumping system to increase agricultural activity in the area, they had used leftover electrical wires to install lights in the midwife’s house. She explained to him that delivery time can not be planned, and women were giving birth in the middle of the night with nothing but kerosene lamps to light the room. “This woman was telling me that now, whenever a baby comes, they have proper light. And it made a world of difference to her and the whole village”. So it’s true, you never know the power of your actions. But when you choose to invest responsibly, your butterfly effect will be felt in the furthest corners of the world, making a positive and meaningful impact.