Page 47 - link magazine

The Link Magazine • July 2004 47
Let there be light to make life easier for the poor of the world

A holiday in Africa, a serious illness and an inventive mind have helped a Swindon couple come up with a life-changing and even
life saving idea which could turn out to be just as significant as the wind-up radio for the poorer people of the planet.
By wiring together a small so- _ gether and distributed to vil-
lar panel, a rechargeable battery lage families in return for work See the light
and two LED lights used in cars, _ in their communities. Roger and Jean Mugridge
Roger and Jean Mugridge from Apart from donations and will talk about Lights for
Cricklade have designed a lots components offered at cost Learning and demonstrate their
maintenance lighting system f i price, the project has been lighting system at Holy Trinity
people who do not have elec- funded entirely by Jean and
— ----^----^n.3 Church, Shaw Village Centre
tricity in their homes. Roger, with Jean making Christ-
On holiday in Kenya in 2000 mas and gift cards to sell at Anybody interested
the couple quickly discovered q^ fundraising events and car boot is invited to attend on
life beyond the luxury of the I ': sales. Tuesday 20 July, 8.30pm
beach front hotel when they be- InApril, with help fromfriend Kindly hosted by the Holy Trinity
friended Chirea, a Kenyan who - Lawrence Cole, they were reg Church Eco Congregation
had to travel 60 miles daily from istered as a charity called 'Lights
his home village to look after the ! for Learning' with the aim of
water sports equipment. He told p giving people worldwide the ' ' ' ' '
them about the basic living con- chance to improve their educa-
ditions and the difficulties of tion.
providing for his extended fam- + 1 Now they want to spread the
ily from the commissions paid by get somebody from their HQ in word and also attract sponsors and Evangoyzc
tourists. Canada to call. I thought it was a investors so that the components ^ O^ Wors ley Road
Jean said, "we decided to spon- brush off, but within 15 minutes can be sourced, assembled as kits ;
sor his children to attend school the 'phone rang asking for details. and sent around the globe.
and on our second trip in 2001 They liked the idea and generously Jean said, "our dream is to be `L ^^8
Chirea asked us to visit his village donated fifty twelve inch square able to go to an isolated village and building with people
where we met his family. We also panels. lightitup.Althoughtheyusehigh- Sunday services are at
met the school headteacher and "I made up three prototypes and tech components, the simplicity of IOam & 6.30pm
offered to help the school." in 2003 we fixed the panels onto the lighting unit and low mainte- For further information you can
Over the next year they raised the thatched roofs of Chirea's nance makes it an ideal product to either ring (01793) 873050;
enough money through car boot house and his mother's, and the be fitted in countries where the e-mail: [email protected]
sales to pay the local technical col- tin roof of his brother's home. They concept of 'instant light' is reserved or visit: www.freshbook.org
lege to make 60 classroom tables, were bowled over to have light for the minority." "the gift of God is Eternal uli" (Romans 6 e23)
Roger contracted a virus in 2002 after sundown, rather than relying
which destroyed his balance func- on the flickering of the wick."
tions and he was out of a job. Reg- On the same trip Roger and Jean
istered disabled and having to get talked to the Lions Club in Mom-
around on sticks, he turned his basa. "We were keen to know how
thoughts to the problems faced by local professionals would react," Sunday Worship 10.30am
Kenyans. said Roger. "When we switched Sunday School and Creche
On their visit to Chirea's village the electricity off and we turned Meeting at Greenmeadow Prima ry School
Jean and Roger had met his wife on our lights, there was an intake NSBC
and seen how his new baby who of breath. They were impressed by Greenmeadow
Prima ry School
had been badly scarred from scald- the brightness and couldn't stop
^ a s A^ ej ^ Le El
ing water because of the poor light talking about the potential; they
in their home. Many people use a asked us to send more as soon as
paraffin wick in a tin can. possible. A doctor described how Dart Avenue
A TV documentary about light- he had conducted a caesarian sec-
ing houses in Nepal using a bat- tion in a village hut using only a whd—dh Rd 0 B4006
tery recharged with a bicycle paraffin wick."
stimulated Roger to research a sys- Roger uses LEDs found in car
tem which stores the sun's energy. headlamps but these provided
"I spent a lot of time on the light straight down which limited
internet looking for suppliers; we their use indoors. As another ex-
were amazed by how eager people ample of support, the importer
were to help," he explained. "When who supplies vehicle manufactur- West Swindon & the
I contacted ICP Solar Panels in ers asked the factory in China to
South Wales, they said they would produce a light with a 60 degree Lydiards churches
spread.
Roger has also adapted a spring
clamp fitting so that the lights can All Saints', Lydiard Millicent
be moved around with its battery Holy Trinity, Shaw
and be used by medical workers
in the field. St Mary's, Lydiard Tregoze
Encouraged by the Mombasa Toothill Church; Westlea Church
Lions, Roger and neighbour Chris
Larkin have made up another 20 For details of our weekly
units as kits to to be shipped to `For God loved the world services please contact the
Kenya where they will be put to- so much that He gave
His only Son.' John 3:16 Partnership Office on 874221
A paraffin wick light used by most
people without electricity in Kenya