DONATE A LIFELIGHT

Less than 15% percent of sub-Saharan Africa is reliably electrified, primarily around the urban centres. In the remainder, the poor depend on fuel-based lighting (kerosene, candles and firewood) which is hazardous and costly. To help meet the urgent need for clean portable energy sources, the Freeplay Foundation has moved into the renewable lighting sector with the same technology that powers the Lifeline radio.

With funding from our US Ambassador, Tom Hanks, we conducted a lighting needs assessment of vulnerable populations in rural and peri-urban areas of South Africa. With that feedback, we collaborated with Freeplay Energy’s engineering team to create a range of  portable, clean LED lights and lanterns called ‘Lifelights’. Like the Lifeline radio, they can be charged by either solar energy or by Freeplay’s patented wind-up technology which is more than twice as efficient as other wind-up mechanisms.

Lifelights use light emitting diodes, more commonly known as LEDs, which are small, bright, highly fuel efficient, last for thousands of hours and are relatively non-toxic compared to fluorescent lighting.

Read more about Lifelights on our blog.

Read about how Lifelights are 'Lighting the Way to Leadership' in Kenya.