When Syrian refugees leave their camps, they pack three items: food, water, and light.
The first two generally come in the form of packages from the United Nation’s World Food Program or other nonprofit organizations. The latter, however, traditionally came in the form of kerosene lamps, which are less than ideal. In fact, they’re often dangerous. According to the Word Health Organization, roughly 1.5 million people a year die from toxic kerosene fumes. In India, where the impoverished population heavily depends on kerosene, the lamps cause over 30,000 yearly house fires. In South Africa, 200,000 people are injured or lose property due to kerosene-related fires. Not to mention, kerosene users spend 30% of their income buying it.
“They can save that money for food, education, building homes,” explains Alice Min Soo Chun, founder and CEO of Solight Design, who created a unique alternative: a slim solar lantern.
The SolarPuff is a two-ounce, flat-pack solar lamp which quickly expands into a 4.5-inch cube. The lantern can last eight hours and easily recharges with clear sunlight. It provides enough light for refugees or people in impoverished areas to perform tasks at night, without instigating any dangerous fires or needing batteries. There are even different settings (high or low), and a blinking option to scare off wild animals or signal distress.
Read the full article at Fast Company.
