Today I met an IITian who is trying to make a difference. When he returned to India (after working in the U.S.), he was obligated to go visit a farmland that he had inherited from his father. On seeing the villagers living in the farmland, he was struck by just how technologically backwards the village was. None of the huts even had a working light. They still relied on fire for illumination.  Wood based or oil (kerosene) based fires were the only source of illumination! Just the fumes from these alone caused life expectancy in these villages to drop (down to 45-50 years). Such is the state of affairs in some of the remotest parts of India.

Light a Candle instead of Cursing the Darkness

Always a big believer in Gandhian principles, Yatendra Agrawal decided to light a candle instead of cursing the darkness. More specifically, he decided to light up the remotest inhabitants of India – those that the Government completely forgot and that possibly did not even register on our census. 

Solar Energy

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Solar energy should be the energy of choice for India. India enjoys, on average 300 plus days of sunshine – a generous amount by any standard. Even the remotest village in India can avail of Solar energy. A company called Green Light Planet had already figured this out – and also started building cost-effective solar lamps (lanterns).  I happened to see an actual solar lantern in operation.

1. The lamp sits inside the house (while the panel is placed on the roof or anywhere outside). A thin cord runs from the panel to the lamp (This is a huge advantage over some other brands that require the entire lamp/panel to be placed outside). The panels are waterproof and built tough.
2. A typical lamp costs Rs. 600 (U.S. $15). A typical lamp’s battery lasts 3 years. A bulb lasts 10 plus years.
3. That’s 3-5 years of lighting for the cost of $15! Once the battery runs out, Yatendra has a provision of reaching out to these villages and providing new batteries (which they happily pay for, since they have seen the benefits of the lamps firsthand)

The Non-Profit

EcoSolutions is the NGO that was started by Yatendra Agrawal. Yatendra identifies the remotest villages in India (from the Sunderbans to Arunachal Pradesh to even villages that are just outside Mumbai – but without any light sources!) – and makes a trek to these villages carrying enough lamps to light up the entire village. He initially provided all lamps for free (bearing the total cost himself) – but has since started providing them at half the cost to these villagers. The villagers see the instant benefit – not just from a bright, smoke free source of light – but also the ‘kersosene, wood’ cost savings.

Do Small Things

Yatendra ended his talk by quoting Mother Teresa:

We can do no great things, only small things with love

Installing solar lanterns in villages may seem like a small thing – but it amounts to a huge change in the lives of the villagers. From allowing the children to study at night to providing a smoke free hut interior to breathe in, a simple solar lantern can change the course of destiny for these remote families.

Ready to Participate in the Change?

EcoSolutions is a registered 401C corporation in the U.S.  You can donate directly on their website.