Learning Lights: Solar Reading Light
"Learning Lights" is a solar reading light kit put together by children similar to a model building kit. When completed it demonstrates the practical application of solar technology to provide a simple solution. A reading light used for children’s study, women’s handicraft work, adult literacy.
A propos de vous
Emplacement
Project Street Address
Kanyamfua Secondary School
Project City
Kanyamfua
Project Province/State
Nyanza Province
Project Postal/Zip Code
Kanyamfua, Nyanza
Project Country
Kenya
Your idea
Country your work focuses on:
Kenya
Website URL
A quel étape votre projet en est-il ?
Idea phase
YouTube Upload
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
<$50
Name Your Project
Learning Lights: Solar Reading Light
Describe Your Idea
"Learning Lights" is a solar reading light kit put together by children similar to a model building kit. When completed it demonstrates the practical application of solar technology to provide a simple solution. A reading light used for children’s study, women’s handicraft work, adult literacy.
Innovation
Describe your idea in fewer than 50 words.
Learning Lights creates solar literacy by equipping people with knowledge, experience, and raw materials to create solar products and solutions to their individual and community power needs. We make solar technology understandable and available to every person, encouraging people to think about solar as a solution to their energy needs.
What makes your idea unique?
Our goal is solar literacy. Learning Lights Workshop and Solar Reading Light kit are designed to foster understanding of solar energy and its use to solve community needs. We put solar components in the hands of students, have them create a reading light, ask them what else they can create, and share their designs. Creating solar learning communities across Kenya and the United States.
Learning Lights Workshop & Kit
• Demonstrates practical application of solar energy
• Build solar reading light
• Fills need for reading light in rural communities
• Promotes Collaborative Science thru website, letter writing, sharing knowledge and design ideas.
The candle effect. One candle in the darkness doesn't give much light; but if each of us is holding a candle we can light up the room. Once taught to make a light, what else can students dream up? Can we use the solar cell to create a radio? What else is needed? As energy demands increase, how do we create a charger for a cell phone? How about when we learn to build a simple solar cell? Imagine a hundred children in a village that know how to make a solar cell, what would their collaboration create?
Teach the fundamentals of solar energy to "everyday" people and provide them with low-cost materials. What practical solutions would they invent? How would they solve their own problems? What would be their priorities? Think about what lower cost micro-computers and internet access, in the hands of children, have yielded in less than a generation in the United States.
What is your area of work? (Please check as many as apply.)
Enfants et Jeunesse, Education , Youth development , Community development , Design , Economic development , Income generation , Social Enterprise , Sustainable development , Technology , Environmental justice , Renewable energy , Rural .
What impact have you had?
What we do: create solar energy literacy
In modern times it is understood that everyone should have a basic education; that reading, writing, and math literacy should be a part of every individuals’ basic skill set in order for them to be successful. We contend that energy is a crucial social justice issue. People and countries can empower themselves by having knowledge about energy alternatives. It is our belief that communities that are not already tied to an energy source have a historic opportunity to create their own energy solutions. For communities near the equator harnessing solar energy may allow them energy independence from oil-producing countries or from burning virgin wood for fuel.
Social Justice Implications
• Education – provides light for students to study
• Community - create solar literacy to empower energy choices
• Clean burning – alternatives such as kerosene create health & environmental issues
• Inexpensive – individual solutions provide less costly solar solutions
• Income Options – individuals can add solar energy knowledge to their marketable skills
• Energy Independence – Solar energy usage can decrease dependence upon outside energy sources
We are in the initial phase. The prototype kit has been developed, one workshop taught in Kenya to 30 students, several presentations in United States. Detailed business plan available upon request including Social Return On Investment (SROI) breakdown.
Describe the primary problem(s) that your project is addressing.
Providing reading light to people in rural communities. Create global literacy in solar technologies.
Describe the steps that your organization is taking to make your project successful.
Created prototype Learning Lights Reading Kit
Developed curriculum for workshop
Wrote business plan
Developed website and opened blog
Taught workshop in Kenya, March 2009
Invoked interest in Kenya with University of Mesano, the Jua Kali, KIRDI, and the cities of Kisumu and Mombasa
Give speaking presentations in United States
Impact social
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Success in Year 1:
Distribute 60 kits in Kenya. Sell 120 kits in United States.
Lower price of kit, refine kit design
Meet with stakeholders in Kenya including members of Kirdi, Jua Kali, work with University of Mesano, cities of Kisumu and Mombasa.
Arrange workshops in United States
Raise money approx $80,000 USD
Update Website
Refine Learning Lights Workshop Curriculum
Success in Year 2:
Distribute additional 60 kits in Kenya. Sell 200 kits in United States
Make alliances with Jua Kali to have kits produced in Kenya.
Work with KIRDI to expand collaborative science program in Kenya.
Increase donor base.
Success in Year 3:
Distribute additional 60 kits in Kenya.
Stabilize donor base
Train teachers in Kenya and United states to lead workshop
Develop online sales for Learning Lights Kits
Do you have a business plan or strategic plan? (yes/no)
Yes.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization? STEP 1:
Refine Prototype
Lower cost of Learning Light kit components. Locate sources, donations, enlist aid of solar technology companies and other stake holders in solar literacy. Get assistance in further testing of prototype.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization? STEP 2:
Strength Distribution and communication vehicles
Develop stronger web presence, better website, blog and social networking. Strengthen alliances in Kenya with Jua Kali, KIRDI, secondary schools, women’s organizations. Test communication vehicles for collaborative science. Create board of directors. Begin online kit sales.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization? STEP 3:
Raise money for next phase of growth, workshop and kit development.
Address any new challenges that arise as a result of earlier steps.
Describe the expected results of these actions.
These actions will result in a bringing together a team that committed to creating solar literacy and create a collaborative environment to further develop and distribute solar technology. We want to see solar technology used not just talked about.
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
In March 2006 I was in Kenya with Cultural Reconnections Mission (CRM) and visited an orphanage that the group co-sponsors with Kenyan women. I had been there twice before, each time marveling at what was accomplished with the small amounts of money they jointly raised. The Patron took us inside to show the latest improvements. They were led into a large room, dark even in the daytime and he flipped a switch.
And the light came on. In this part of rural Kenya there is no electricity. This solar powered light would allow over 40 children to study after 6:30pm, sundown in Kenya. Solar installations of this type took a great deal of capital investment. It was worth every shilling. The children spoke to us about how much they enjoyed reading now that there was light. Some of the girls were planning to take exams to go to secondary school – a dream out of reach for most orphans.
The light had come on!
An idea had been brewing in my mind, teach solar energy to children and let them create their own solar reading lights? Surely it would take a smaller capital investment and the education would be invaluable to their future success. I spent more than a year designing Learning Lights solar reading light kit and interactive workshop. The intention is to teach people the principles of solar energy while making a solar reading light. And encourage them to use this knowledge to make other things they need – perhaps a solar cell phone charger? With the support of AAKEWO, the project arm of CRM, I have been able to continue the development Learning Lights. In March 2009 I taught the first Learning Light Workshop in Kenya.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
What we do: create solar energy literacy
In modern times it is understood that everyone should have a basic education; that reading, writing, and math literacy should be a part of every individuals’ basic skill set in order for them to be successful. We contend that energy is a crucial social justice issue. People and countries can empower themselves by having knowledge about energy alternatives. It is our belief that communities that are not already tied to an energy source have a historic opportunity to create their own energy solutions. For communities near the equator harnessing solar energy may allow them energy independence from oil-producing countries or from burning virgin wood for fuel.
A country of solar energy-literate citizens can create solutions to their own power needs by improving products and re-designing solar technologies.
Our goal is to provide the education, training and raw materials to teach solar principles while creating a simple practical solution to a problem – light for reading at night. We challenge our students to immediately customize the design to their individual and community needs.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Dr. Paul McCreary, professor Evergreen College
Viabilité
What would prevent your project from being a success?
Risks associated with implementing the Learning Lights program including:
Underfunding in Kenya’s educational system. Integration in school curriculum requires adequate educational funding. While the 2003 law that abolished the fee-based school system made education accessible to many more children, class sizes are often large and schools unable to afford more teachers. Teachers may be unwilling or unequipped to teach solar energy in schools. Volunteer teachers from US may help.
Political instability remains a serious issue following the crisis that erupted in Kenya after the presidential election held on December 27, 2007. The government remains divided along party lines on how to improve social services such as education and may be unable or slow to act on changes to curriculum including teaching solar technology in the classroom. Partnerships with Women’s organizations may provide a solution.
Natural events. In addition to political barriers that may exist, natural occurrences such as drought and disease may limit children’s access to education and the benefits of solar light for study. The AIDS crisis has left many children orphaned and obligated to leave school and work to support surviving family members. Droughts and seasonal flooding destroy crops creating food shortages, limited income for parents to support education, and malnutrition for children. Lack of access to safe drinking water creates unsanitary conditions and health problems that keep children out of school.
Financing source
Y
If yes, provide organization name.
Cultural Reconnection Missions (CRM) and AAKEWO which is the project arm of CRM www.aakewo.com
How long has this organization been operating? (i.e. less than a year; 1-5 years; more than 5 years)
more than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
NO, not yet
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs? (yes/no)
NO
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses? (yes/no)
NO
The Story
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government? (yes/no)
NO
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
This field has not been completed. (900 characters or less)
How many people will your project serve annually?
Initially 100 Kenyan Students, 200 United States students
What is the total number of employees and total number of volunteers at your organization?
volunteers 1 full time, 4 committed volunteers, 50 casual volunteers
What is your organization's business classification?
Pas inscrit
Have you received funding from any of the following groups? (Please check as many as apply.)
| Fichier attaché | Taille |
|---|---|
| IMG_0077.jpg | 111.98 Ko |
| IMG_0085.jpg | 85.37 Ko |
| latelaa 109.jpg | 100.64 Ko |
| water1web.JPG | 34.77 Ko |
| water2web.jpg | 35.4 Ko |
| water3.jpg | 336.55 Ko |
 | il y a 202 semaines Yuting Lien updated this Competition Entry. |
| il y a 202 semaines Yuting Lien updated this Competition Entry. |
| il y a 203 semaines Alma Lorraine Bone Constable updated this Competition Entry. |
| il y a 203 semaines Alma Lorraine Bone Constable updated this Competition Entry. |