As I moved into the second week of my internship, I finalised my preliminary research and sorted through the information I had collated to pick out the most relevant details and the points I definitely wanted to include in my report. This allowed me to begin building up a structure for my report and to decide the best order to present my findings in. It also highlighted some areas where more in depth research was needed or where different sources could be used for a new angle.
As well as choosing the most pertinent information, I also looked through the different models of solar lights available to choose which ones would be suitable alternatives for LED and therefore would be worth discussing. There is quite a range of products out there, some being very sophisticated and as a result quite expensive, and others which are more simple and affordable. There are also differences in the intended purposes of the different models; some have been designed specifically for use in the developing world and are used by other charities or social enterprises and some have been designed to be used as outdoor lighting or for activities like camping and hiking. I felt it was important to not completely disregard the latter type of lantern as some of the models would still be useful to the communities in Peru and Nepal as they can sometimes be cheaper or easier to source in bulk.
Example of solar lights on the market, including the integrated LuminAid model, the Sun King study lights and the Energy and Comfort model with all the attachments.
Towards the end of my second week and throughout the third week I focused on writing the report, using a rough outline of the structure to get started and filling in the details from the research I had and my own knowledge. I tried a few different layouts and methods of presenting the data so that it is as clear and easy to read as possible, but I have decided to focus on the formatting in the final week, once all of the content is finalised.
A few questions came up whilst I was comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the different models so I look forward to meeting with the trustees next week to clarify these points and to show them my progress so far, before finalising the report.