Anglicord an Australia based Anglican overseas aid agency is bringing bright, safe and sustainable solar lighting to some of the world’s most remote places.Anglicord is encouraging Australian Anglicans to help by donating through its annual Christmas Lights Appeal. The success of Anglicord’s solar projects has led to a high demand in the Pacific and in Africa, and Anglicord is hoping to expand the work to more communities through partners such as the Mothers’ Union.
Millions of people across the developing world will spend Christmas in darkness this year because they do not have access to electricity. Those who can afford it will use kerosene lamps, even though kerosene is expensive, gives off toxic and environmentally-damaging fumes, offers poor quality light and causes fires.
In Tanzania, Anglicord has been working in partnership with the Anglican Diocese of Ruaha, Church Missionary Society Mission Partner Fiona Oates and Australian solar lights producer Barefoot Power.In the past year, Anglicord and its partners have installed solar lighting in four remote Secondary Schools in Iringa District, at a cost of $3000 per school.
“Bright kids need bright lights to shine. If you give a smart country kid a $25 solar lamp, they can go on to secondary school and develop a future beyond rural poverty,” Ms Oates says.
In the Solomon Islands, Anglicord, again in partnership with Barefoot Power and also with the Anglican Church of Melanesia, has a project training unemployed youth to run their own businesses selling solar lamps to local communities. Next year, Anglicord wants to expand the program to reach up to 10,000 households including entire villages.