SOLAR LAMPS PROJECT: In Moldova, the LSM approach to Humanitarian work has evolved over the years from first responding to the most urgent and basic needs of children such as food, coal for heating, mattresses, seeds for gardening in orphanages, medicine, clothing, and shoes to focus on education providing school supplies, educational assistance for adolescents to attend trade schools, and more recently into After-School Programs. Having this as a background in Moldova for years of service and seeing the importance of not only addressing the most urgent and critical needs such as food, but also thinking ahead and providing for future individual development, LSM explored the possibility of sustainable projects in India. Although the budget is limited the impact in a child’s life or the life of a community is immense and worth the effort and the investment to improve the lives of people.

The solar lamp project for hut dwellers have light during the dark hours of the evening and night was a small but beneficial project. Having a source of light will help children to continue their homework into the evening and also considering that they live in huts where snakes and scorpions can easily enter undetected, it is also a safety measure to have at least one source of light which does not require kerosene or other sources of fuel to provide lighting. This project may be easily replicated in other remote villages across India where the need for light in huts during the evening and night remains an unmet basic necessity. With funding for this project LSM can supply solar lamps to other villages in this area.

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“The village is located on the left side of the Dargas road. These people migrated from one place to another because they were living near an electric transformer and a few times there were fire incidents so the government relocated them to a remote area. They have no drinking water facility and they bring water from a distance. These solar lamps are like an emergency light source for them and more.” Solar Lamps Project Field Notes

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