Keep it simple!

Having done the interviews and seen the houses lighted in the night, we realized that people do not need a primary light. The car battery serves the peoples’ needs quite well, although it is rather expensive. Charging the battery every 3 days (1500Riel/time), costs to them 82500Riel/year ($45). The car battery substitutes the electricity grid, and allows the people to connect to it from a fluorescent light to a TV, a DVD, a stereo home system etc.

Nevertheless, you cannot tell that people do not need light. The fluorescent lamp might serve as a generic, ambient light that lights the main room and a little bit the entrance of the house, but it is not enough. The fluorescent lamp is most of the times attached to the wall or the roof, offering limited functionality to the people. Various needs that require a minimum amount of light and portability remain uncovered. People need a light to go outdoors; to the toilet, to visit a friend, to check the chickens or the cows… They also need another light indoors, apart from the fluorescent lamp, to cook, to light the bedroom, to watch out the kids, to watch TV…

An affordable, portable, orientation light, with low or no running costs would be the ideal solution for the people. Firstly it would substitute the kerosene lamp which not only harms peoples’ health and is a permanent risk of fire in the house, but also costs 4200R per liter that lasts for one month [50400R/year=$12,6/year]. Furthermore, it would also save some energy from the car battery. People sometimes watch TV with the fluorescent light on (for more comfort?).

The solution does not have to be oversized, with a lot of LEDs, functions etc like a lot of NGOs do. People just need a secondary, multipurpose light, which ideally should not have any running costs for them. A torch does not serve their needs really; the task light and the torches’ grasp limit its functionality a lot. Although that people have most of the times more than one torch at home, it seems not to prefer them, and pick a petrol lamp instead.

Last but not least, do not forget that people already have the burden of the charging system for their car batteries. Adding one more product that requires charging and money, for sure would not be for peoples’ benefit.

In conclusion, KEEP IT SIMPLE!