After sun down, the villages at Anupshahr plunge into darkness. All activities pretty much come to a standstill. Families here cannot afford electricity and are forced to use kerosene and candles which provide expensive but poor quality light.
The Solar Lantern Project brings light to the homes of Anupshahr students independent of the electrical grid.
PPES recently conducted a need assessment survey of solar lighting at a small locality in Anupshahr. The respondents included 52 families and findings indicate that once the families start using the lanterns:
It will result in lesser or no consumption of kerosene and candles thereby increasing the households savings by upto Rs. 150 per month.
It will result in income generation activities for a majority of families.
It will make the community more safe and secure given there is a reliable source of lighting. The respondents also mentioned they will be more relaxed given that solar lanterns are not a fire hazard.
It will encourage students to study after dark and will improve academic performance.
It will help improve their health considering they wont be exposed to kerosene fumes.*
* Continuous exposure to kerosene fumes is a major health concern. Given the homes of these families are so small, lighting a kerosene lamp fills up the house with these harmful, toxic fumes resulting in numerous respiratory disorders.
Implementing the solar lantern project
The solar lantern project will be implemented either by donating both the lantern and the solar charging panel to the beneficiary or by donating the lantern (without the charging panel) and setting up a solar charging station in the village in a convenient location. The latter may be executed if PPES can donate 100 or more lanterns to a particular village. A minimal monthly fee may be charged for operational costs which will be used towards battery replacement every 2-2.5 years (cost of battery replacement per solar lantern at the end of 2-2.5 years: approx $6 which amounts to less than 20 cents/month). This will bring about a sense of ownership and will also ensure in sustainability of the project for years to follow. The village will be chosen based on where the need for the lanterns is most. Additionally, a workshop will be held to educate and inform the community about the working, handling instructions and benefits of the solar lantern.
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The Facts
WHAT:
The Solar Lantern Project is part of Pardada Pardadi's Green Initiative. It involves providing solar lanterns to families of students at PPES who cannot afford electricity and who do not have a reliable lighting source at home.
