LEDs Lighting Up the African Darkness

Peace Corps Online writes "In a non-electrified society, life is defined by the sun and little is accomplished once it sets around 6 pm. Only 19 percent of rural areas in Ghana have electricity. The rest use foul-smelling kerosene lamps to light their huts, which pollute, provide little light and are major fire hazards. But now Philips has partnered with KITE, a not-for-profit Ghanaian organization, to bring artificial light to villages that have no electricity. The new Philips products include a portable lantern which provides bright white light where it is needed, the Dynamo Multi LED self-powered (wind-up) flashlight that provides 17 minutes of light from two minutes hand winding, and the 'My Reading Light,' which is a solar-powered reading light with built-in rechargeable battery. 'People can now do things in the evening,' says Harriette Amissah-Arthur, KITE's director. 'If you could only see the joy these products bring the villagers. You look at their faces; you have to see it to believe it.'"

Comments

Re:Solar powered flashlights

[Hordeking]

And how about finally giving credit to us pollocks for our contribution of the solar powered flashlight, my people have been ridiculed for long enough on this one.

Q: How many pollocks does it take to recharge a solar powered flashlight?

A: None. They haven't figured out how to charge them at midnight when the power goes out.

Thanks! I'm here all week! Make sure to tip the bartenders and these fine waitresses, they're doing a hard job for you!