Wind Up Lights Soon To Help African Homes

We have all heard of gadgets that are powered by wind up mechanisms like the wind up radio, well now the same technology could soon be helping to light up homes across Africa.

Prototypes are in the process of being developed by the Freeplay Foundation of a charging station for house lights. It hopes it will improve the quality of life for many Africans and testing will start in Kenya in the next few months.

The idea is to reduce the cost, pollution and unhealthy alternatives many Africans currently use to light their homes.

The director of the Freeplay Foundation Kristine Pearson, said few Africans in the continents most vulnerable areas had access to electricity to light homes.
“Their life stops or is very narrowed when the sun goes down,” she said. “Two extra hours of light would make a big difference to their life.”

Ms Pearson said, The Foundation had applied for a grant to fund the design and testing work from the World Bank as part of that organisation’s Lighting Africa initiative.

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