Solar-powered lanterns have transformed the life of an Indian villager, Jamil Akhtar, and now he wants to spread the word to others to break the cycle of poverty and encourage education.
Mr Akhtar is one of 2.2 billion people in the world without access to reliable electricity. He uses a solar-rechargeable LED lantern manufactured and distributed by d.light, a company that has been selected by the Expo Live project, which is part of Dubai's Expo 2020 bid.
“We get electricity sometimes for half an hour, sometimes an hour, sometimes two weeks pass without electricity,” said Mr Akhtar, a farmer who lives in Vaishali in India’s Bihar state. He was the first in the village to spend 550 rupees (Dh32) on a d.light lantern two years ago, buying one more last year and four lanterns this year.
“Now it is as if there is electricity in my house, other villagers saw my home and they bought lanterns. If more people get this light, then looking from far it will be as if the whole village has electricity.”
Without electricity, adults and children suffer in stifling heat unable to complete farm work or study late.
“We have too much trouble without electricity because we must finish work early,” he said.
“Now with d.light we can work longer hours in the farm and sheds, cook at night and children can study with the lantern light. If there is more light there will be less poverty because children can study more and people can work more.”
His wish reflects the mission of d.light, which is to help households without access to reliable electricity attain the same quality of life as those with electricity.
Founded in 2007 by the Stanford Business School graduates, Sam Goldman and Ned Tozun, the company’s primary markets are in India and Africa.
It aims to provide safe, bright, clean and affordable lighting alternatives to kerosene lamps that are polluting and often cause fires.
Donn Tice, d.light's chairman and chief executive, said the company understood the vision of Dubai Expo 2020's vision.
“Developing solutions to global challenges in partnership with others is a theme we share in our own work,” he said.
“Support from Dubai Expo Live will help us to strengthen our efforts to bring safe affordable lighting to communities around the globe.
“We were excited to be a part of this programme to bring sustainable solutions to major global challenges like energy access. We understand the Expo Live project aims to support initiatives that address mobility, sustainability and opportunity.
“For d.light, sustainability and opportunity are core to how we design and deliver our products and we appreciate Dubai Expo Live’s commitment to these themes.”
The company is a for-profit social enterprise dedicated to providing affordable and accessible solar lighting to the developing world and reaching 100 million people by 2020.
Mr Tice said that d.light envisioned a future not reliant on fossil fuels or grid-based electricity.
“Where all people are empowered to enjoy the freedom and improved quality of life that comes with access to reliable, affordable off-grid light and power,” he said.
This vision matches the Expo Live’s sustainability goals.
For Mr Akhtar, the durable solar lantern that lasts about five years helps make life more productive.
The family earlier spent 160 rupees per month on one kerosene lamp and, like many households, required at least two lamps a night. Instead, the d.light solar lantern runs on bright mode for up to five hours and up to nine hours on a dimmer mode with a single six-hour daily solar charge.
“When there is work we earn 100-200 rupees a day, sometimes we work 20 days a month, sometimes there is no work. Then we have to spend money if someone falls ill and on clothes and food, so not everyone has money for light. But with light comes change and that is what I tell people,” Mr Akhtar said.
rtalwar@thenational.ae