In the developed world we take light for granted.
We have fluorescent light, incandescent light, halogen light, and LED light. We have rope lights, Seasonal Affective Disorder lights, task lights, overhead lights, under-cabinet lights, recessed lights, track lights, clip-on book lights, outdoor holiday display lights, and even mood lights.
We literally have a light for every occasion.
When blackouts occur we are rendered nearly paralyzed by the darkness. We scurry around frantically, trying to remember where we put the flashlights. We know they’re in a drawer somewhere…but WHERE? We fumble around for our candles, which will likely be near the table linens since we use them for formal dining. If we are lucky enough to find the candles, then we’re never going to hone in on the matches. That would just be too easy. Alas, the people who make up the household inevitably end up sitting together and sharing one or two flashlights. One stays with the group and the other is allocated to bathroom treks.
Imagine if that was your life every night; that’s what it’s like for some families in Zambia, but minus the flashlights. How would you read? How would you cook? If you were a school-aged child, how would you study or do your homework? Most families in Zambia don’t sit in complete darkness: they burn candles at night. Other families use kerosene lamps, which might sound like a luxury, but they are expensive and come at a cost that is greater than what one pays at the market. The cost is health-related. One must be in fairly close proximity to a kerosene lamp to receive adequate light, and when the fuel is burned it emits toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
I’m not into stories of doom and gloom, so rest assured that there is a light at the end of this tunnel; and that light is powered by the sun.
Enter Every Child Has a Light.
Sungevity is now partnering with our customers and with Empowered by Light to help Zambians light their world from the outside and help children in Zambia build their futures with the help of the sun. For a child’s education, giving them light is the difference between learning and not learning, so for every solar system we sell, we give a solar powered light kit to a child in Zambia. Get solar, give solar. It’s that simple. What a bright idea!
