Did you know that 31% of the population of Bhutan living in rural areas have to survive on less than $2 a day? And 23% of the people living in urban areas? Now the subsidy is cut, these people have to spend 20% of their income on kerosene fuel for their lamps instead of approximately 5%. Bhutanese people are now having an even greater need for access to solar energy lights.
Many people in developing countries use kerosene lamps for their lightning. Burning kerosene comes with big consequences. Made of a distillation of crude oil and sometimes called paraffin, not only is kerosene unsustainable by its very nature, it’s chock full of harmful chemicals that pollute indoor air. Inhaling kerosene fumes is equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes daily, contributing to two-thirds of the lung cancer cases in developing countries.
Some facts:
– 16,000 people are injured by kerosene lamps every single day
– More children perish in kerosene lamp fires than those who die from malaria or TB
– 6 million people annually sustain severe burns from kerosene lamps
– Worst of all, kerosene poses significant dangers to every member of the family. Tipped over, a kerosene lamp can cause direct burns and even ignite house fires.
The WakaWaka Foundation aims to ban kerosene lamps. The main goal of the WakaWaka Foundation is to provide people at the bottom of the pyramid with safe, sustainable, and self-sufficient solar energy solutions!
Read the news item in India Today here.