d.light's Nova, Cosmos Ignite's MightyLight, Barefoot Power's Firefly, and a paraffin kerosene lamp

Project Description

More than 1 billion people around the world rely on kerosene lamps to light their homes and businesses when the sun goes down. Not only is kerosene expensive, but its flames are dangerous and the smoke poses serious health risks. According to the World Bank, 1.5 million people die each year due to indoor air pollution. These deaths are avoidable with the use of LED lamps available on the market. While the purchasing price of a lamp is more expensive than the price of a makeshift paraffin lamp (pictured above), it will last years longer and produces brighter light than a kerosene flame.

In 2008 dissigno in San Francisco received a grant from the World Bank to establish an off-the-grid lighting project in Tanzania. This initial project could bring LED lamps to 3,000 homes in the Karagwe District via “Pedal Power”, or using a stationary bike to generate enough energy to charge battery-powered LED lamps. Catapult plays an instrumental role in the project by assisting dissigno with LED lamp evaluation for the Pedal Power project. Each LED lamp on the market differs by: price tag, the brightness of the light it emits, how long it produces good light, and how long it takes to charge its battery. Catapult’s goal: to assist dissigno with defining metrics that help them pick an appropriate solution for their project needs.

Client: dissigno, San Francisco, CA

dissigno builds sustainable enterprise opportunities in constrained communities through innovation, creativity and partnership creation. dissigno’s expert multi-disciplinary team manages the complex arrangements in the fast-paced, often turbulent global environment to stimulate economic opportunities for community and stakeholder benefit. In 2008 dissingo’s proposal for Pedal Power, a lighting service enterprise, was one of 16 projects awarded a grant by the World Bank’s Lighting Africa Development Marketplace.

Project Manager

Heather Fleming