Light up the World: tens of thousands benefit from pioneering solar project

from Inventors and Remarkable People (111 articles)

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Photonics engineer Dave Irvine-Halliday (c) Rolex / Xavier Lecoultre

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Eight households in Tembisa, Johannesburg, bought lighting sets on microcredit, and two have already paid off their loans in full. Dave believes that spreading that linking lighting systems with microcredit could make cheap lighting universal.

“Till now we’ve collected donations to install SSL systems free of charge. But this will barely scratch the surface of lighting needs in the long term, since we can never collect enough money to give lighting to everyone who needs it. So we have to provide people the means of financing their lighting themselves.”

In Tembisa, Michael and Poulina Mohlala hope that with the money saved thanks to their SSL system, they can to leave the shantytown, where they have lived for 10 years, and find better housing. “These lights have brought joy, happiness and hope to my house,” says Michael Mohlala.

Article by Francesco Raeli, with updates by Julian Cribb.

For further information see http://www.lutw.org.

The Rolex Awards

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise recognise great achievements, encouraging a spirit of enterprise in visionary individuals who advance human knowledge and well-being.

The Awards are presented every two years in Science and Medicine, Technology and Innovation, Exploration and Discovery, the Environment and Cultural Heritage. A project may be submitted in almost any field of endeavour provided it contributes to the betterment of humankind and is ongoing. Anyone, of any age, from any country or background, may apply.

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