[SHARE] How Can Plastic Bottles Help 1,250 Malaysians In Need?
With your help, 1,250 underprivileged Malaysians will have access to this basic necessity most of us take for granted.
1 out of 7 people in the world still lives without electricity
That's 1.1 billion people living in the dark, with the majority of them located in Asia or sub-Saharan Africa. Out of which about 1,50,000 villagers in Malaysians are forced to live without access to any form of electricity both inside and outside their homes.
Needless to say that living without electricity forces these villagers to use kerosene-powered lanterns as their primary light source. Kerosene is not just an inefficient means for energy, it is also horrible for the environment and the lungs.
However, Incitement, a Malaysian-born social movement running in over 40 countries, has been combating energy poverty in villages
They build solar-powered lights using plastic bottles, put them together with bamboo trees and installs them in villages and areas where modern electricity is still not available. These solar lights are charged during daytime and light up the moment it gets dark. The best part? Each of these solar-powered lights lasts up to four years.
These solar-powered lights can change how people ultimately live
How, you ask?
. Safety hazards in the village will be significantly reduced (e.g. no more need for campfires inside the house).
. More importantly, it can help kids see a different, brighter future. They will be able to study at night, there will be better education opportunities.
. The environment will become safer and the villagers will be less at risk to e.g. snake bites, and wild animal attacks.
Without light to study and read, we all know studying and reading doesn't happen. And without a proper education, it's incredibly difficult to break the cycle of poverty that keeps people in the dark to begin with.
Incitement has partnered with the Liter of Light Foundation in a move to bring light to 2 villages in rural Malaysia. Both the NGOs have done similar project multiple times in the past year in Malaysia and have seen an incredible impact.
So how can you help?
Get the word out. Pitch this project to your friends and family to raise enough funds.
If you think this campaign is as amazing as we do and are interested in helping out, you know what to do.
With your little help, thousands in Malaysia, and potentially around the world, could benefit tremendously.