First it was $100 computers for children in developing countries. Now it’s solar-powered flashlights for people in Africa. Before you know it, we may actually find a way to solve world hunger. Here’s an excerpt from the New York Times article about the project and the inventor of the flashlight, a marvelous man by the name of Mark Bent:“His invention gives up to seven hours of light on a daily solar recharge and can last nearly three years between replacements of three AA batteries costing 80 cents.“Over the last year, he said, he and corporate benefactors like Exxon Mobil have donated 10,500 flashlights to United Nations refugee camps and African aid charities.“Another 10,000 have been provided through a sales program, and 10,000 more have just arrived in Houston awaiting distribution by his company, SunNight Solar.“’I find it hard sometimes to explain the scope of the problems in these camps with no light,” Mr. Bent said. “If you’re an environmentalist you think about it in terms of discarded batteries and coal and wood burning and kerosene smoke; if you’re a feminist you think of it in terms of security for women and preventing sexual abuse and violence; if you’re an educator you think about it in terms of helping children and adults study at night.’” Read more.
Here Comes The Sun
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