Project Description
Over one billion people around the globe do not have access to artificial lighting. Developing countries tend to have unreliable electricity grids with an intermittent power supply, and many populations live completely disconnected from the grid. This results in several issues relating to health, economy, and education. People living without electricity resort to burning expensive kerosene for light after sundown. Aside from the high cost for an inefficient light source, kerosene lamps are also hazardous to a user's health. One study from the World Bank found that inhaling kerosene fumes is the equivalent of smoking two packs of cigarettes. Actions such as childbirth, medical procedures, or even simple activities such as taking a walk are rendered dangerous without lighting. The lack of access to light also locks in the poverty cycle, hence damaging a country's economy. This project aims to provide a stopgap solution for providing artificial lighting, both in and outside the homes of populations off the grid, at minimal cost and with minimal pollution.