Lights4Literacy Shines During COVID-19

by | Jan 13, 2022 | LTBLI news and updates

Guest blog written by Siriman Kiryowa, Solar Health Uganda Field Research Analyst.

Lights4Literacy is an innovative solar project in Uganda. It is a collaborative educational program undertaken by Let There Be Light International (LTBLI), Kyosiga Community Christian Association for Development (KACCAD), Solar Health Uganda (SHU) and the Uganda Spelling Bee (Enjuba). Lights4Literacy donates safe solar lights and age-appropriate books to children in vulnerable, off-grid homes to improve literacy rates and impact educational outcomes.

During the pandemic, Ugandan schools were closed for nearly two years, and just recently began reopening. In fact, according to the Ministry of Education, up to 30% of students will never return to school, a tragic situation for the children, as well as for the country. During the lockdown, most students could not access any reading materials and most homes do not contain books. Let There Be Light International and Solar Health Uganda realized that together, we could donate light and hope to students in our service areas. Thanks to a productive partnership with Enjuba, hundreds of children now have safe lighting at home and a book to share with their families and friends.

The solar lights, outreach and project implementation are funded by LTBLI (www.lettherebelightinternational.org), while the colorful and locally produced children’s books are provided by the Enjuba. KACCAD, a local community development organization administers Lights4Literacy, and Solar Health Uganda (www.solarhealthuganda.org) implements the project in partnership with the Enjuba team. The project targets children belonging to off-grid households. Each child receives one solar light and an assortment of books. If there are multiple children in the same household, each child gets her/his/their own books, but each household receives only one solar light which can be shared by all of the children. For LTBLI’s records and to facilitate monitoring and evaluation efforts, data is collected from parents and guardians including demographics, contact numbers, current type of energy used for household lighting, and levels of weekly expenditure on household lighting. We also ask whether there exist respiratory-related health problems among the household members, and if any member of the household has ever suffered a burn while using, for example, a wax candle or kerosene lamp.

Lights4Literacy has distributed 700 solar lights and benefitted approximately 3,500 people in the 700 households. The usage of solar lights has enabled the households not only to reduce their lighting expenses but also to improve the general health status of the entire family through reduced exposure to polluted air. 

To support this important program, please visit Let There Be Light International here or email them at [email protected]. Thank You and Shine On!

Siriman resides in Wakiso, Uganda and is a Field Research Analyst for Solar Health Uganda. He creates survey tools and analyzes data from the field while supporting various Solar Health Uganda projects in all their phases. He has a background in Environmental Agriculture and a degree from Makerere University in Kampala.

0 Comments

Solar Solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

By Jo Stevens Imagine not having light at night to do household activities, homework, or cooking. Unfortunately, this is the reality for 760 million in the world, and 80 percent live in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Economic Forum, energy poverty is the...

Earth Day Every Day

by Jo Stevens Happy Earth Month! Every April, the global community comes together to shine a light on our shared environment and highlight ways to build a healthier, more sustainable world for everyone. During Earth Month, initiatives for environmental outreach...

Advancing Environmental Justice: A Call to Action

Environmental justice isn't just for experts or activists; it's a growing movement open to everyone. It's a way to take action to ensure that all people regardless of race, income, or background, have access to a safe and healthy environment. Originating from...

Shining a Light on an Equitable Energy Transition

By Jo Stevens, 2024 Environmental Justice Associate As politicians, CEOs, and others strive to meet their goals for a fossil fuel-free economy and net-zero emissions, it is important to ensure that this transition is accomplished in a just manner, providing access and...

LTBLI’s 2023 Solar Recap

Millions of people live without access to electricity in Africa - can you imagine? With your help, we’re doing something about that by solar-electrifying health clinics and donating solar lights to families. Below are pictured three of the more than 10,000 mothers who...

We’re Shining On in Rwanda

A guest blog by the co-founders of Shine On Rwanda, an initiative of Let There Be Light International By Leah Weinkle and John Keith. Nearly 1 billion people in the world live with unreliable access or no access at all to electricity and about 600 million off-grid...

A Short Recap of a Long and Bright Journey

Earlier this month, I traveled with LTBLI Founding Board Member (and exemplary husband), Ben, to Uganda for site visits over the course of 9 action-packed days. Unable to travel since March 2020, due to the global pandemic and then an Ebola outbreak in 2022, LTBLI had...

Shine On Rwanda!

Guest Blog by John Keith and Leah Weinkle   Ten years ago a friend of ours here in Denver started a primary school in Rwanda. Hope Haven Rwanda has recently completed the addition of a secondary school and is the top-performing primary school in Rwanda based on...

Sustainable Energy for All

  A guest blog by Caroline Mwebaza of Solar Health Uganda. Sustainable Energy for All A few months ago, I attended the Sustainable Energy for All Forum in Kigali, Rwanda. l traveled from Uganda as a Delegate on behalf of Let There Be Light International (LTBLI)...

My Summer Solar Internship

Hannah Schulman is this summer's Energy Poverty Intern at Let There Be Light International (LTBLI). She is a rising...