New Keringa is a model village in Southern Orissa,India,with 47 families. It is distinct,not because it is in the news. It is the story of a participatory democracy as the adage seems more fitting that an idea can change your life. It is an excellent example of empowered masses of a tiny hamlet in Orissa who have defied challenges to make it happen. It is the first village in Orissa to be lit by solar energy,thanks to the unique joint initiative of D light and Beyond Solar,an American nonprofit with Southern Orissa Volunteer Association (SOVA),a local NGO that has sponsored the solar installations. D.light has pioneered innovative light designs cheap enough to be affordable for poor families who are just making a meager income. The story unfolds the grim reality faced by people living in distant rural areas and this experience opens a world of opportunities for the 1.6 billion people around the world who don't have access to electricity or good sources of light,and the majority of them use kerosene lanterns and stoves,which are both hazardous and create air pollution. Most of the rural households in New Keringa are on the brinks of extinction due to paucity of employment opportunities,poverty and economic backwardness. Literacy is at the lowest ebb and these tribal people are forced to sustain their livelihood from nature. Most of the villagers crush rocks all day to earn a living. They also make plates out of banana leaves that are sold at the market. These people are alienated from the mainstream,lack the basic infrastructure and the roads to development has been abysmal. Marred by the contradictions of a civilized society,families living in this area are amongst the poorest in India,with an average monthly income of 600-700 rupees. Families use kerosene for lighting lanterns and cooking food. Their plight witnessed a phenomenal makeover,kudos to the concerted efforts of D.light that came up with an alternative solution to rekindle the livelihood of the entire village. The company in sync with an NGO initiated trials of D.light Novas in the sample village (New Keringa). The Nova uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to provide up to 40 hours of light on a single charge. Initially,the task was challenging as the first step was to educate the folks about the product and instill confidence. Communication was another barrier that hindered free flow of ideas. The company was confident that this novel strategy would change their lives forever. Next step forward was to train about the benefits of solar lighting and LED technology with SOVAs assistance,a local NGO lending their helping hand. It was a win-win situation for both as the strategy was aimed at sensitizing the people about environment friendly energy efficient products plus enhancing their productivity. Being offered financial support,within a couple of days,the entire stock of Novas was sold off wherein villagers had to make a down-payment with weekly installments. It was history in making because the entire village was lit in one week! It also worked wonders for the local people. Average monthly family income almost doubled as families were now able to work at night to earn an extra income. Earlier,each family used to consume 11 litres of kerosene,shelling out extra bucks. The consumption of kerosene is now 0 litres! The time on commuting to procure kerosene from the city was also cut drastically. Now,the children are able to study and the families are leading a quality life. The main street in New Keringa,India,is lit for the first time. The village is 100% lit by D.light Novas. It is business efficiency,creativity and revitalization that paved the way in its success. Isnt that a meaningful step to achieve self-sufficiency and light your life!
