solar lantern

For 12 year old, Savitri from Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh, India, school was only till dusk and she had to manage with a kerosene lamp, which used to cast shadow on the books and gave limited amount of light. Throughout rural parts of India, many children work in the fields during the day and attend school only at night. Due to electricity outages there is often not enough power to light the classrooms after dark.

Electricity is a luxury in rural Bangladesh. More than 80% of the country’s rural population is off the grid, and light — from hazardous kerosene lanterns — is a precious and expensive resource.

During the rainy season — which seems to get longer each year — local farmers struggle to keep farms intact as melting glaciers in the Himalayas and unusually heavy rains cause rivers to flood and sea levels to rise to unprecedented levels. In such conditions, day-to-day activities become a struggle.