Solar Lamps, India

We are dedicated to:

Empowering women by helping them start their own social enterprises, which will increase the economic potential of their community, while reducing the environmental and human health hazards of kerosene lighting.

We are:

A team of young professionals versed in many disciplines with a common passion to aid underserved populations in India and eventually the world.

Our Initiative will:

• Reduce the amount of time that a woman must walk to obtain kerosene and fire
  wood supplies, thereby allowing more time in their day for education, work, and
  other activities;
• Reduce environmental and human health hazards associated with the Particulate
  Matter (PM) released from Kerosene lamps for some of the estimated 60% of
  Indians who rely on kerosene for light;
• Provide lighting to a significant portion of the estimated 70% of the rural areas in
  India that do not have access to light; and
• Create a sense of confidence and empowerment to yield long-term success
  among rural women.

Our Goal:

To touch the lives of over 30 villages by our second year, and have nation-wide
presence by our fifth year.

Our VPI Growth Plan:

We will work with the talented engineers, economists, and entrepreneurs at VPI to reach our goals and to spread our solar lamp model across the other social enterprises under the VPI umbrella, by leveraging their established networks. Specifically, we will collaborate with VPI’s Biodigester Company and Girls Republic Company to better understand how their work can be incorporated into our project’s targeted villages. Lastly, we will leverage our own network to address the growing concern of access to clean and potable water in India in our sixth year, by consulting VPI’s health scientists and environmental scientists.

You can help by:

• Providing your technical expertise for technology development or by contributing your knowledge of international development and business development for stronger implementation models.
• Funding for raw materials, initial capital, and travel.

We are open to suggestions if you wish to contribute in a different way. Please contact chandni@vortport.org with your interest and questions.