Charity Insights

My internship has come to an end, my report has been completed and submitted to my supervisor and, so far, the feedback has been positive. I spent the final week continuing to write up my research and editing the content, reworking the structure and ensuring the formatting allowed me to present my findings in the best way possible.

I also met more of the trustees of the charity to hear about the work they do and to discuss the experiences they have had when visiting Nepal and Peru on numerous occasions and distributing the lights as they made their way up the mountain ranges. Hearing first-hand information about the lights that are currently being used and the feedback the trustees have heard from the recipients helped me to compare this standard to the other models I was evaluating. It helped to further define the necessary specifications of any products that should be recommended as it meant I could fully understand the kind of problems the lights can sometimes present.

© Mary Loosemore, photos showing two types of lights that were donated and mountain ranges in Peru.

Overall this has been a really enjoyable and rewarding experience. LED have been an amazing charity to work with and I hope to stay in contact with them and keep up to date with the work they are doing. Conducting my research and writing this report has been really eye opening as I had not previously realised how big a market there is for these products and how many charities there are focusing on delivering renewable solutions in developing countries. It was interesting to find out about the solar technology being implemented to provide light and electricity in rural areas, as well as new innovations to harness the power of movement and gravity, among others.

I would highly recommend taking part in the Charity Insights scheme; it offers the chance to spend a summer making a difference within a charity and gaining experience in an interesting field of work. This internship has made it clear to me that this is an area of research and innovation that I would like to explore following my degree, and I look forward to conducting my masters project into solar materials, hopefully building on what I have learnt over the summer.

Read Internship with LED: Final Week in full

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.

Read Internship with LED: Second & Third Week in full

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.

 

Read Internship with LED: First Week in full