Power of We: Little Sun

During a recent visit to the Tate Modern, I received illumination as to how we could address the challenges of individuals living in poverty-stricken communities.

Recognising the benefits of basic services on our health and wellbeing is a good place to begin. Something simple such as reliable electricity or the ability to light our homes often goes unappreciated in the places I call home. We tend to forget about the array of technologies that we have access to, and our responsibility to provide similar access to those in developing countries.

In a market saturated with products trying to provide universal household lighting, The Little Sun wouldn’t be unique if it wasn’t an art endeavour. Funds generated through sales of The Little Sun are subsequently used to subsidise their distribution in low-income communities.

A quarter of the world’s population do not have access to electricity. In just trying to light their homes, many turn to more expensive and dangerous methods of lighting; kerosene lamps are a common alternative.

Kerosene usage poses a significant burden on households as a major ongoing cost and cause for respiratory conditions that result from fumes.

Providing cheap, reliable and clean sources of lighting is one of the simplest ways to positively improve someone’s quality of life. Lighting provides greater opportunities for us to better our lives, from enjoying communion with friends and family; to more hours in which we can work or pursue education.

The Little Sun is a product that elegantly answers the question of how to best provide an appropriate form of lighting for developing communities. It is simple by design, yet rich in outcomes.

This project has shown how we can create solutions that benefit people irrespective of their location or point on the wealth spectrum. Little Sun provides a unique example of how technology transfer and foreign aid needn’t be a one-way street.

It is possible to address these issues by working cooperatively – all we need is a little light to guide the way.

By Michael Mazengarb, photos by Laura Owsianka.