I have completed my first week of my internship with the charity Light Education Development (LED) and it has been an interesting experience so far. Although I have been given a direction for the project, I also have the opportunity to be independent and to choose my focus and my approach. My project is related to the work the charity does providing solar lights to families in Peru and Nepal with no access to electricity. I am researching the different lamps on the market and evaluating their suitability for the charity’s needs. Beyond this, the content of the report is at my discretion; how scientific to make it, how many products to consider, how to compose the layout. I have been impressed by the number of products on the market and I’ve enjoyed learning about innovative new technologies and what to expect from the future of solar energy.
LED provides solar lights to families in these areas as they have no access to electricity, meaning that once the sun goes down life effectively stops. Providing a source of light means children can complete their homework and other tasks after dark, meaning they can progress with their education and ultimately escape from the poverty trap.
Below are images courtesy of LED (https://lighteducationdevelopment.org/) showing the solar lights they currently use.
© Light Education Development
It was great to touch base with my supervisor to ensure my research was along the right lines and also to share some of my preliminary findings. As well as recommending a particular solar light unit that could be used I will also be investigating different avenues to consider in terms of collaborating with manufacturers or other charities to try and provide as many as many lights as possible. If I have time I would also like to consider this in terms of the work the charity does relating to the provision of education and healthcare in these villages.
So far I have had a great experience and I look forward to continuing on this project and producing a report that benefits the charity and the people who they help.