Let’s Do Our Part – Light Up the World with the Bogolight
by Carmen Bolanos
Did you know that two billion people in developing countries rely on kerosene lamps, candles and single use battery flashlights for light? Think about that. Think about the environmental impact – candles, kerosene and batteries that must regularly be replaced. Think about the safety impact – how many homes may catch fire each year as a result of kerosene or candle accidents. Think about how many of these people including children spend all their daylight hours working outside the home so that their only time to read, study, or attend to daily tasks in the home is after dark.
As Nu Nomads many of us have had the privilege to experience places like this first hand and to see what some of the basic needs are for these families. Part of my reason for co-founding Nu Nomad has been that I believe that the more we as a human species can experience each other and learn about each other’s lives, the more we will gain understanding and the more we will come to a state of peace in the world. This is my big hairy audacious goal. However, there are also practical ways we can all make a big difference.
Getting a Bogolight is one of these ways. Mark Bent, the genius behind the Bogolight, has invented a solar powered flashlight that will run for 4-5 hours with 8 hours of charging. The charging can be done as it hangs from your backpack while you climb the Himalayas. The battery needs only to be replaced about every 2 years (and recycling programs are underway). The flashlight itself will last for 20 years. However, the best thing about the Bogolight is not the flashlight itself, but the program behind it.
BOGOLight stands for Buy One Give One Light. For every flashlight you purchase, another one is sent to a person in a developing nation. In addition, Bogolight will donate $1 to a charity in that nation with your purchase. So you’re really helping in several ways. There are even programs underway to remove the batteries out of the developing nations for recycling when they need replacement.
Whether you’re hiking in the Amazon or spending a month in Paris, a flashlight should be a part of your Nu Nomad gear for practicality and safety. I encourage you to make it a Bogolight. Besides, it may keep you from having to figure out how to say, “where can I get a new battery?” in Swahili someday.
Visit the Bogolight site, take a look at their program, their success stories, and their product. Then do something good for yourself, for someone else, and for the world around you!
