Arman Lauresta teaches 36 students from inside a small, bamboo shack on the hillside. He assigns his students homework, but they often arrive at school without it. “No light,” he said, is the most common reason kids don’t complete their assignments. Although Arman feels helpless to change this, he understands. He struggles to afford the kerosene he needs himself, to correct papers and develop lesson plans after a long school day.

In the Mangyan community of Villa Cervesa, families struggle to afford basic needs. Each classroom receives 500 pesos (approx $10US) for an entire year of school supplies.

When families run low on food, parents cannot afford to send kids to school. Children are forced to work in the home or in the fields to help generate income. As kerosene costs 15 pesos/day, many families cannot afford to light their homes. For a child that spends her days in the fields, the lack of light at night means missing her education altogether.

The history of the community is not uplifting either. The Mangyan tribes, native to Mindoro island, suffered at the hands of colonists and wealthier Filipino settlers in the 1900s. Forced away from their original settlements and pushed onto the hillsides, they now subsist on rats and worms when they are hungry, or short on protein. Because of their remote location, the Filipino department of energy has no plans to bring electricity to these marginalized communities.

Despite the obvious challenges, Arman moved to Villa Cervesa 13 years ago, to give Mangyan kids an education in a native school. “As a Mangyan, I am the one to help them develop their lives. There are no other people.”

After receiving his light Arman, he beamed with joy.

Mayor Alfredo Ortega Jr fights for the Philippines Department of Energy to bring electricity to his village. Although there is power nearby, approximately 4,000 families of Villa Cervesa remain in the dark.

“I was nervous the first time I visited the capital,” he says, referring to the first of 15 visits he made to the DOE in Manila, in his 5 years as mayor. With his strong stance and confident voice, it is hard to imagine Mayor Ortega feeling nervous. “I had worked so hard on my proposal.”

The trek from Mindoro Island to the capital takes a full day each direction. After years of meetings, the DOE has promised electricity in 2014. This result is impressive, yet as Ortega spoke, his eyes showed a combination of joy and disappointment – the electrification will only reach villagers in the main areas of town. Native Mangyan families in the hillsides, who are included in his responsibilities as mayor, will remain unelectrified.

To brighten these native communities overlooked by the government, One Million Lights Philippines teamed up with Mayor Ortega to bring solar lights to two Mangyan settlements. They may not see grid electricity in the years to come, but they are free of the burden of kerosene today.

When Byron Bobila saw flames in the water, he immediately paddled toward the fire. Fishermen in eastern Samar use kerosene lamps on their boats at night. When these lamps fall over, the boats go up in flames.

Byron was relieved to find the fisherman safe nearby, swimming in the ocean. Being 1 km from shore, the fisherman may have drowned if Byron were not so alert. With the fisherman safely on his boat, Byron paddled to shore and gave the man shelter in his home. In the morning, the fisherman found transportation up north, back to his family.

In the Philippines, fisherman use kerosene lanterns to attract fish to their boats, much the way light bulbs attract moths. Although this fishing method brings the most fish and the most income, accidents are not uncommon. Fisherman leave shore at 4p, and stay overnight until 7am.

Byron had feared a similar accident on his own boat, when fishing overnight. His new light, however, promises safety, and also provides a chance to improve his business. Smiling broadly, he pondered how many fish he could attract using this new, much brighter tool. Given kerosene savings and increased earnings, he hopes to afford new school supplies for his two children.

Fourteen years ago, on the night of Christmas eve, Moreto Gianan returned from the market to find 7-year-old SonnyBoy on his back, third degree burns covering his body. SonnyBoy had discovered the family’s kerosene supply, and lit it on fire.

Lacking a clinic within the village, Moreto and his brother laid SonnyBoy on a hammock, and carried the youngster to Virac city, a 3-hour trek through the night. SonnyBoy was in luck. On the tiny island of Cataduanes, Virac hospital had just received its first ever general surgeon.
Although SonnyBoy survived his accident, Dr. Vietrez Abellia has treated many kerosene burn victims since starting her career in Cataduanes, and not all have survived. About SonnyBoy, she recalls “he couldn’t eat and he was so thin, I thought he would die.” He stayed under her care, with father by his side, for 5 full months.

As an adult, when asked to see his burns, SonnyBoy smiles sheepishly as he lifts the corner of his t-shirt, watching your face carefully to see your reaction. As a child, he was too ashamed of his scars to attend school, but as an adult, he has returned to get his education. So far, he has completed through the 3rd grade, and looks forward to using his solar lamp for future studies. He finds comfort in this light – his children won’t face the risk of kerosene accidents, as he did when he nearly lost his life.

One Million Lights brought Dr. Abellia with us to donate lights in Dugui San Vicente, where she delighted to see SonnyBoy again for the first time. “I’m so happy he’s alive.”

Glenda Borja’s one-year-old son turned cold, his lips blue from lack of oxygen. Feeling helpless, she stroked his tiny body, wheezing for air, and prayed that this asthma attack would not be his last.

As the village’s one public health worker, she knows respiratory illness in a way her neighbors do not. 60% of the town will suffer from asthma at one point in their lives. Two children in her village have died of asthma since she began her job in 2003. Parents frequently call for her when their own children suffer an attack. Although kerosene fumes can trigger asthma and worsen attacks, when the attack occurs at night, she cannot provide treatment without lighting the lamp.

When asked if she wants electricity in her home, she laughs. “My ultimate dream!” she says. Electricity costs 7,000 pesos to install, and has a minimum monthly service charge of 500 pesos. Compare that to the 300 pesos ($6US) she gets paid per month for her work. With five children to feed, she conducts her job in the evenings, allowing her to farm crops during the day.

For Glenda, a solar light is a special treat. For the first time, she can see at night without risking her health. She provides light to her family, and her patients, in a clean and safe environment.

Alice lives with her mother in a traditional hut, 4km from school. She attends school six days a week, leaving her house at 6:30am and not returning home until 5:30pm in the evening. Her favorite subjects at school are math and Kiswahili. She does not like her English class because it’s obvious her teacher doesn’t like coming to the remote rural school. Alice’s dream is to become a police officer. Currently, she is the team captain of the school scouts, where she teaches others how to march, stand at attention and raise and lower the flag. She enjoys learning and wants to continue with school but is concerned that her parents won’t be able to afford her continuing education.

Namunyak walks to school each morning for an hour, from her traditional thatched home. Her father was killed in an incident associated with his drinking so she lives only with her mother. She has one brother who is 10, and one sister, 8. Her mother does farm work to support the family.

Namunyak wakes every morning at 5:30 and cleans the dishes from the previous day and cleans the house. Then she milks the cows, bathes and goes to school. When she comes homes after school, around 5pm, she tends the family garden. After she helps mom with dinner, she gets to bed, usually around 9pm. She is worried about being able to afford school.

Nasikeu (on right) lives in a mud house with her mom and dad and 5 siblings. Every morning, she leaves for school at 6am and returns home at 5pm. She does an hour or two of homework when she gets home before it gets dark, then goes down to the river to wash her clothes and bathe. She is required to work some evenings and every weekend doing farm work. Her father drinks heavily and will beat her if she doesn’t do her farm work, which consists of mostly digging and weed pulling. She would like to go to boarding school but can’t afford it. She wants to be a teacher and start her own school one day.

May 15, 2012 10:05 AM – PhilStar News

CALAPAN CITY, Philippines – Some 100 Mangyan families in remote and depressed communities in Victoria and Naujan towns in Oriental Mindoro, who had no access to electricity, received free “solar-powered” lanterns from a private company and a non-government organization (NGO) under a humanitarian/corporate social responsibility program.

The Energizer Philippines and the One Million Lights (OML), an international NGO, had teamed up to give the indigenous families living in Sitio Loyal, Brgy. Villa Cerveza in Victoria and Sitio Belen Uno, Brgy. Balite in Naujan solar-powered lamps.

The distribution of lanterns is part of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of Energizer Phils., and international commitment of OML to provide people living in depressed areas and in need of light to brighten their living places. Here in Oriental Mindoro, the company and the OML-Philippines achieved their mission of providing free lights to at least 100 families living in the remote areas.

The joint project also aims to increase awareness and knowledge of Filipino beneficiaries the importance of having safe and useful lighting system as against using the traditional but unsafe or delicate oil lamp and candles.

According to Joan Mendoza, brand manager for Energizer Phils., the activity was undertaken through the company’s campaign “Spreading Positive Energy”, designed to cut the beneficiaries’ expenses in buying and using traditional or conventional lanterns which may cause fire.

In coordination with private groups Rotary Club of Victoria, Speedtech Schick, Bankee and Caritas Filipinas, Energizer and OML teams distributed for free a total of 400 solar-powered lamps to about 100 beneficiary-families there. The lamps were manufactured by Energizer.

The founder and country head for OML – Phils., Mark Benjamin Y. Lozano, expressed gratitude to Energizer for the company’s continuous support to the group’s mission of bringing solar-powered lights to one million people in the Philippines.

Besides the Philippines, the lamps, which are imported from the United States, are also distributed to other countries such as Argentina, Kenya and Ethiopia. – Juancho Mahusay

Media Contacts:

Sadaf Minapara, One Million Lights
415-438-0586
sadaf@onemillionlights.org

Helen Kendrick, SunPower Corp.
408-240-5585
hkendrick@sunpowercorp.com

New One Million Students Program Encourages Environmental Action Among Today’s Youth

MarketWatch, Wall Street Journal
PRNewsWire

SAN JOSE, Calif. – May 14, 2012 – The SunPower Foundation today announced that it is teaming up with One Million Lights, a Palo Alto-based nonprofit that provides solar lighting to rural communities globally, to launch a solar education program for K-12 schools called One Million Students. The program provides educators with grade-appropriate curriculum structured to increase student understanding of how solar works and how it is being applied to generate clean, renewable energy in locations around the world.

The One Million Students program features three, one-hour lesson plans which highlight real-life case studies on solar technology use worldwide along with interactive learning tools including solar-powered LED lights and solar electricity testing kits. Teachers can choose curriculum based on specific education levels: elementary school, middle school or high school. Plans can be integrated into existing
environmental studies, math and science courses, and delivered by SunPower or One Million Lights representatives.

At the beginning of this year, SunPower and One Million Lights piloted the One Million Students program in San Francisco Bay Area classrooms.

“The One Million Students program has touched the hearts and minds of our 270 seventh-grade students,” said Curtis Schneider, a teacher at Egan Junior High School in Los Altos, Calif. “During a recent three-day lesson, our students were taught the science of creating light with the sun and then learned how One Million Lights is bringing solar LED lights to those who live in an off-grid world. As a teacher, I value students learning how science can help the planet and those who are less fortunate. Two thumbs up and best wishes for the future of this program.”

“SunPower and our employees were pleased to pilot One Million Students in local schools and the positive results have encouraged us to make its valuable curriculum available more broadly,” said Doug Richards, SunPower Foundation chairman. “The program will help to educate the next generation of solar leaders about a pressing need for clean energy solutions while increasing their awareness of solar’s growing presence around the world.”

“We are delighted to be a part of this initiative,” said Anna Sidana, founder of One Million Lights. “One Million Students employs a creative approach to education and addresses the critical issue for renewable energy solutions in our lives. This program enables us to bring our global solar light programs full circle by sharing our experiences and knowledge with children here in the States.”

Teachers and students interested in registering their school for One Million Students or learning more about the program are encouraged to visit http://onemillionstudents.org/act-now/.

About One Million Lights

One Million Lights is a registered nonprofit with a mission to improve the daily lives of children and adults by providing clean and healthy solar lighting. Its goal is to distribute one million solar lights and replace dangerous and polluting kerosene lamps.

One Million Lights provides clean, safe, affordable solar lighting to rural communities around the world through its international distribution programs, made possible by partnerships and donations. These solar lights enable children to study at night and adults to extend their workday, all while eliminating carbon emissions, improving household health, and greatly increasing income savings.

For more information on One Million Lights, please visit www.onemillionlights.org,
www.facebook.com/onemillionlights and http://twitter.com/#!/millionlights.

About SunPower Foundation

The SunPower Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on empowering, inspiring and motivating a new generation of solar leaders in global communities. Established by SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) in 2008, the SunPower Foundation partners with key nonprofit agencies to develop and distribute education tools that support community-based solar power initiatives around the world. For more information, please visit the SunPower Foundation website at www.sunpower.org.

# # #