One Liter of Light

Have you experienced a blackout at work in the day or at home in the night?
Light vanishes in a flash in the most unanticipated manner possibly when you were in the midst of doing something. It's annoying and the first reaction would be to find the fusebox to rectify the situation, especially if it occurs at home.

But what if the blackout happens everyday? And there is no way to rectify the problem but to live with it?
Past experience in Myanmar gave me a glimpse of such a situation - in many parts of the country, electricity is scarce which leads to frequent blackouts. In fact, I was told that there was such a thing as a blackout season and blackouts by sector in the country in a bid to conserve energy.

Most of the developed world probably could not relate to such an occurrence. After all, light comes simply at the flick of a switch, day or night. In big cities, neon billboards and street lamps illuminate surroundings the whole day It is sometimes even more difficult to find darkened outdoors unless one ventures away from the city.

But as the adage goes, adversity brings out the innovative spirit of mankind.
Which is the case for one village in the Philippines. In many underprivileged communities living in informal settlements in the country, families often have to live in darkness in window-less shacks sandwiched like sardines in a can to save space. It poses a dilemma for the home owners - switching on the lights in the day is costly but if they do not do so, they are practically living in darkness. There is an added risk in the form of faulty electrical connections that often cause fires that spread through the settlements.

Who knew that a simple soda bottle filled with water & bleach can end the prevailing woes of the people. By way of attaching these bottles through a hole in the roof, homes are now lit up by these solar light 'bulbs'. It is a sustainable and eco-friendly solution that is easy on tight pockets as well. Known as Isang Litrong Liwanag (1 Liter of Light), the initiative is now established as part of a charity foundation that seeks to light up 1 million homes in the world by 2012.  The initiative has taken flight in other parts of the world in similar dire states as well. Read more about it here.

Which goes to show that sometimes we don't need ambitious saviour mentalities or projects to help light up the lives of others. Starting small with a genuine heart could be the way to go.

Enjoy the tuesday.