Gift of light: Local campaign aims to deliver solar bulbs to Haiti

America Green International is mounting a local campaign to deliver 1,000 solar light bulbs to Haitian refugees.

The effort began after a trip to Haiti last January to explore the benefits of introducing green technologies there, says Program Coordinator Leah Quintal. Her and other aid workers gave a man who operates a food stand a pair of small solar lights.

“Then he pointed at all of the nearby tents and said ‘this is wonderful, when are you bringing them back for everyone here?’” explains Quintal. “That spurred the whole conversation around this program. … Even one light bulb can be so transformative. It changes that person’s life. When you get a solar light, it’s renewable energy, so you cut the cost of kerosene, a dramatic cost, so you can spend the money to improve your life in other ways.”

Quintal also says the lights could play an important role in preventing rapes and other crimes that plague the sprawling camps that sprung up after a devastating earthquake struck the country in 2010.

“It’s horrible: Having light at night would help their security. It would seriously curb the amount of rape that’s occurring in the tent cities,” she maintains.

In a trial run, the program delivered 250 solar lights to Haitians in need. And Quintal’s been a familiar face at local festivals this summer, operating out of booths to sell more of the lights and raise money for the program (they cost $20 a piece). The lights can also be purchased for use here at home, where they’re becoming increasingly popular among hikers and campers. All the proceeds go to fund the Haitian effort.

Quintal reports that American Green needs about 800 more lights to meet their goal of 1,000, which they’re hoping to distribute to refugees in January on the two-year anniversary of the quake. She’ll be selling them from a booth at RiverFest at French Broad River Park this Saturday, Aug. 13.

Meanwhile, longtime Asheville filmmaker Kurt Mann (and owner of American Green) documented the trial run in Haiti (see below for his video). Eventually, he’s hoping to make a full-length documentary on the effort.

City of Lights from kurt mann, americangreen.tv on Vimeo.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.