United Nations Radio

Children studying with aid of LED lamp

Many households in rural areas of Kenya use kerosene to light their homes. Kerosene, which is also known as paraffin produces dangerous fumes and is a fire hazard. But now, thanks to a project called "Lighting Up Kenya", Kenyans will have safer lamps. UN Radio's Diane Bailey reports.

NARRATOR: Charlette Lopez knows first hand what it is like to use a kerosene lamp. She grew up in rural Kenya.

Charlette Lopez: When I was younger I lived in the countryside with my mom. We didn't have electricity and we used the kerosene lamp. First of all it wasn't very bright. It was very dim. You couldn't really see everything. You have to move from one room to the other carrying the light because it doesn't light the whole place. I used it to study and do my homework when I was in first grade to my fourth grade. And often I would have to add the kerosene if it was finished. So, it would take my time too.

NARRATOR: But that's not all, says Alexander Varghesse, the representative of UNIDO, the UN Industrial Development Organization which is collaborating with the Kenyan Industrial Research and Development Institute to "Light Up Kenya". Kerosene lamps are a health hazard.

Alexander Varghesse: One of the hazards that we see in Kenya, particularly where I live, is that many people inhale the smoke in poorly ventilated houses. There is no proper ventilation. Children are studying in front of these kerosene lamps and in a couple of hours their eyes get very red. And also the indoor pollution is such that it leads to respiratory illnesses as well. And opportunity for children to compete with urban students is less because of the fact that they don't have a level playing field.

NARRATOR: A kerosene lamp is not only a poor-quality source of light, it is also dangerous. Alice Kariuki, another Kenyan describes two types of a kerosene lamp.

Alice Kariuki: There is one that is enclosed. So that one is a little bit safer and also the light is better. It's clearer to see. But there is also another one which is just open. It's exposed and the flame is exposed. So that can cause a danger to small children and even to adults. If they leave it and it falls and catches fire and maybe it lights a piece of paper or piece of wood. So it's not very safe.

NARRATOR: The "Lighting Up Kenya" project is aimed at solving these problems. An Italian company, Dream Power is working with the UN Industrial Development Organization to promote the use of quality LED lights in the rural areas of Kenya. The company's Director, Rita Ricciardi says LED lights are better than kerosene and even better than conventional electrical lights.

Rita Ricciardi: These are a new generation of lighting. It's a much more energy-saving than the conventional energy saving. There is no pollution involved because there is no mercury. It's a pure diode. So it's based on an electronic circuit and this is also recyclable. With an LED you save about 80 to 90 per cent of conventional light and up to 50 per cent versus the normal energy saving lights. And the life span of an LED is higher. We look at 40 to 50,000 hours life. The conventional energy-saving lamp goes for a maximum of 12,000 hours and contains mercury.

NARRATOR: Ms. Ricciardi says UNIDO chose the LED design and her company, Dream Power chose the rest. 

Rira Ricciardi: What is ours is the LED and what is ours is the power supply to support the LED connection with the battery and the battery is also locally available in Kenya. The light looks like a box and you have one LED or one watt which gives 100 lumens which is enough for a child to study. This light has a battery that allows the LED to work for about 30 hours without needing recharging the light.

NARRATOR: Rita Ricciardi says the light is affordable costing slightly more than 10 euros per lantern and can be recharged every 12 days at the cost of 50 cents making it more cost effective in addition to its other benefits. Another advantage of the "Lighting Up Kenya" project is that the production is done in Kenya. Reporting for UN Radio, I am Diane Bailey.

Duration: 4'03"