Solar Lights
Not too long ago I was in my home village in Uganda where I was born and grew up. Not much has changed except for the rapid degradation of the forests which are being lost because the trees are a source of energy for both cooking and lighting as well as building materials. There is limited afforestation.
Because there is no electricity in rural areas, people walk for miles to the homes of the few individuals who have solar panels in order to charge their phones. Most kids who can afford to go to school utilize the daytime hours of light to do the family chores and school work. This makes it harder to compete with urban students who have the luxury of the electricity and can study at night, yet all students sit the same exams. Rural communities are dependent on kerosene lamps, which affect their health as they produce dangerous fumes and not very much light.
It was very fortunate that I was able to take some solar lights on this trip to Uganda, which I distributed to the individual young students in the village. They were so grateful as the lights will improve their opportunities and livelihoods. The lights were donated by a very thoughtful and generous friend in Denver. Thank you!
