SolarBuddy lamps East Sumba – from careful testing to safe light in remote schools/strong>

This new Picture of the Day shows a long row of yellow lamps and many patient hands at Rumah Kambera. Volunteers, Rotary friends, Fair Future, and Kawan Baik teams work side by side to test, repair, label, and register each SolarBuddy before it leaves for villages with no electricity. Over three days, we inspected 2,224 units, including panels, switches, batteries, brightness, QR codes, and tracker logs. Brick by brick, we transformed a shipment into safe light.

Since then, more than 1,000 lamps have already been distributed to approximately fifteen schools. Thirteen schools remain; they are far away. Reaching them involves long dirt roads, river crossings, and often two or three days away from home. We are progressing carefully, but funding is limited to complete the deliveries. We will do it because light here is not a luxury; it is a basic necessity for health, safety, and learning. See the Map here.

A distribution is never just a handout. Every visit includes training. We work with teachers and students using posters and simple demonstrations to enhance their learning experience. We explain how to charge the lamp properly, how to store it, and how to report any problems. We discuss hygiene and handwashing, nutrition for children, road and fire safety, and how to prevent malaria through the use of nets and maintaining clean environments. Some containers become school handwashing stations because water and light are the first lines of defence against germs.

What difference does one safe lamp make? A child can read after sunset without smoke from kerosene. A mother can walk a rocky path without falling. Cooking causes fewer burns. A teacher can prepare lessons at night. Families can reach the well before dawn with clear light. Fewer cuts, fewer infections, more learning, and greater calm.

This photo captures the quiet discipline behind all this. Rows of lamps waiting like stored daylight. Young women scanning codes. Notes written with care. It is slow work, but it is how we safeguard thousands of evenings in East Sumba. We continue towards the last 13 schools, step by step, kilometre by kilometre, with the same precision and commitment.

Today, the 9th of November 2025 – Alex Wettstein

List of Related Organisations with Hyperlinks

• SolarBuddy provides solar lights to children living in energy poverty and partners with schools and NGOs worldwide to enhance education and safety after dark.
• Rotary International supports community projects through global networks of volunteers and clubs, focusing on health, education, and disaster response.
• The WHO offers technical guidance on malaria control, prevention, and surveillance, which informs our community training programs in rural areas.
• UNICEF emphasises that access to safe lighting improves learning time, health, and protection for vulnerable children.
• Lighting Global establishes quality standards and provides market insights for off-grid solar products used in remote communities.
• GOGLA promotes sustainable off-grid energy solutions, supporting safer lighting options for education and households.
• The IFRC shares community first aid and risk reduction guidelines that we incorporate into our school training sessions.
• UN Water emphasises the importance of handwashing in preventing disease, a key topic during our distribution events.