Project Chirag
A youth initiative to provide solar lighting to villages without electricity
Need in Rural India
In India 72,000 Villages, 400 million people have no access to electricity. Kerosene lamps presently used by several rural families emit poor quality light and release lethal toxic fumes that cause an array of health and environmental problems. Furthermore, there exist dangers from burning kerosene lamps overturning and drinking of kerosene by children, which has caused even death in certain cases. Today, rural families in India spend large fractions of their income on this source of unsafe and insufficient lighting, thus shaping the need for an alternative that is continuously available, durable, safe & affordable.
Our Solution:
Solar Home Lighting for Rural India
Project Chirag is an initiative by students of H.R. College, Mumbai to provide solar lighting to rural households having no access to electricity. Two solar powered lights are provided to the targeted households catering to both indoor and outdoor lighting requirements, thus providing the beneficiaries with a safe & clean source of light beyond sunset.
Introducing solar lighting to the lives of the villagers exhibits a direct impact on their lives, namely - higher productive & work hours, children are able to study at night, women can cook fresh food, it facilitates better access to medical clinics post sunset, there are lesser deaths from snake bites and ultimately it leads to an outright sense of security.
Unique Approach
Involving the youth – Students of various schools & universities are involved in the grass root level execution of Project Chirag. The students participate in all phases of the project and are thus provided with a platform for experiential learning through their exposure to the needs of rural India.
As on August 2012, Project Chirag has provided solar lighting solutions to 3780 households across 100 villages in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh
Need in Rural India
In India 72,000 Villages, 400 million people have no access to electricity. Kerosene lamps presently used by several rural families emit poor quality light and release lethal toxic fumes that cause an array of health and environmental problems. Furthermore, there exist dangers from burning kerosene lamps overturning and drinking of kerosene by children, which has caused even death in certain cases. Today, rural families in India spend large fractions of their income on this source of unsafe and insufficient lighting, thus shaping the need for an alternative that is continuously available, durable, safe & affordable.
Our Solution:
Solar Home Lighting for Rural India
Project Chirag is an initiative by students of H.R. College, Mumbai to provide solar lighting to rural households having no access to electricity. Two solar powered lights are provided to the targeted households catering to both indoor and outdoor lighting requirements, thus providing the beneficiaries with a safe & clean source of light beyond sunset.
Introducing solar lighting to the lives of the villagers exhibits a direct impact on their lives, namely - higher productive & work hours, children are able to study at night, women can cook fresh food, it facilitates better access to medical clinics post sunset, there are lesser deaths from snake bites and ultimately it leads to an outright sense of security.
Unique Approach
Involving the youth – Students of various schools & universities are involved in the grass root level execution of Project Chirag. The students participate in all phases of the project and are thus provided with a platform for experiential learning through their exposure to the needs of rural India.
As on August 2012, Project Chirag has provided solar lighting solutions to 3780 households across 100 villages in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh