Being connected to the grid means having constant access to electricity that powers electrical appliances and lighting systems at home. For some of us this is something so common that we do not even think about it when we turn on the kettle for that very important cup of tea, or when we switch on the light as soon as the sun begins to set. But for others, occupying areas such as the Philippines, having light at the dinner table is more of a luxury than a given. A brave campaign called “Isang Litrong Liwanag“, run by My Shelter Foundation, has the aim to provide that missing light to the millions, who currently have no access to it, using just plastic bottles, some water and some bleach.
According to the statistics, around 3 million households only in the Philippines, do not have proper lighting systems at home. Of course, it is hard to imagine that people would simply live in the dark, and indeed they do not. Instead, they reach for lamps that either operate with fire, or are very poorly connected. Because the government is unable to provide support and monitor the DYI light installations in these homes, many lives are put in danger every single day.
This is where the “Liter Of Light” initiative comes into play, bringing cheap, safe and pollution free lights to one million households in the outskirts of the Philippines capital. The technology was developed around 3 years ago by, by Alfredo Moser from Brazil and later on modified by students from the MIT. It is essentially a recycled plastic bottle filled with water and bleach, which can be installed in less than an hour and shaped up to function as a 60 watt light bulb.
What initially started as a small project that provided 10,000 plastic solar bottle bulbs to slums around Manila, is now being massively expanded, thanks to My Shelter Foundation and a bunch of funding contributors such as Pepsi and Bosch. If everything goes according to plan, the lives of many households would be completely transformed in a safe and pollution-free way.
Image (c) My Shelter Foundation
