Every great adventure begins with a first step.
Wrapped in uncertainty, out of thier comfort zone and 8,000 miles away from home, WATTS OF LOVE begins its epic journey.
Chapter 1. Ilin Ilsand
Watts of Love’s mission to empower the poor with sustainable solar light was born on Ilin Island in the Philippines, where 100% of locals live without electricity.
Just South of San Jose, this isolated island reached only by boat or barge is home to approximately 35,000 inhabitants who primarily rely on fishing and seaweed farming to generate income. Here, there are no roads, permanent buildings, sewer systems or portable water available, and when the sun goes down, there is nothing but darkness for miles.
“The Moment I saw the boat we were taking to the island I knew we were in for an adventure.” –Kevin Kuster
Click here to see video on our banca boat ride to Ilin Island.
When Watts of Love arrived on Ilin Island in February 2013 to initiate its pilot light project, the team met scores of villagers suffering in extreme poverty and forced to sit idle at night until dawn.
We discovered that in this part of the world, it was not uncommon to enter a bamboo hut smaller than the average American kitchen, shared by eight relatives who have no choice but to sleep on dirt floors and resort to occasionally eating nothing but salt for dinner.
For many here, living in a world of darkness means relying on alternative fuel like kerosene for lighting and cooking if a family can afford to buy it. Unfortunately, kerosene is not only expensive, but it is dangerous and deadly, emitting hazardous chemicals that attack the respiratory system and pose major risks to health and safety. All too often, the liquid is responsible for causing household fires and horrific disfigurements that few can afford to treat with medical attention.
“I am too poor to be loved.”
This woman living in a partially burned hut was abandoned by all of her family except her granddaughter because, in her own words, she said “I am too poor to be loved.” We will never forget you Nini and Olif and most importantly WE will always love you!
Resolving to do something that would bring sustainable change to Ilin Island, Nancy and the team returned with 1,000 revolutionary solar lanterns to begin eliminating local dependence on kerosene. Their intention was to enable families to save the money they would have spent on the toxic fuel and to provide the opportunity to increase productivity well into the night in order to earn a higher daily income.
What we hadn’t expected was that the end result would be completely transformational for everyone who received their messages of love, light and HOPE.
Within one day of distributing solar lights, the team learned that light recipients had used their new solar tools to achieve a level of success never before thought possible.
One mother of seven proudly reported more than doubling her daily income in a mere 24 hours by using her lantern to whittle 1,000 additional bamboo skewers after dusk that she was able to sell at market the next day. This allowed her to purchase more food for her family and to realize how many different ways her lantern would help her better provide for her children.
The same success was enjoyed by students, seamstresses, midwives and fishermen who marveled at the new opportunities their solar tools had secured. Aside from providing up to 130 continuous hours of reliable light along with a quarter mile of nocturnal visibility, our Watts of Love lanterns feature charging capabilities via an innovative USB port that will power radios, cell phones and other electronic devices.
Contrary to popular belief, people in developing regions do have cell phones, as cell phone companies distribute simple models for free and offer reduced rates on airtime minutes. To them, this is a safe investment, because they understand that everyone has a need to communicate and connect, and in remote regions of the world where there may only be one doctor for dozens of miles, access to a dependable communication source is essential. Emergencies like natural disasters and political conflict occur regardless of location or income. As such, people from all walks of life strive to stay connected.
Many of our light recipients report using their lanterns to earn a profit by charging their neighbors electronics overnight or renting access to their own resources that they can now charge daily.
This has opened the doors for several struggling individuals who have now begun their own solar micro-business, supporting the improvement of a developing community and helping to reduce our collective carbon footprint on the planet.
Another beautiful sunset on Ilin island, however, as the sun fades most of the villagers will live in complete darkness until the sun rises again.
Although many of the children on Ilin Island struggle to eat everyday, their laughter and joy always filled our hearts.
When not delivering solar lights, we tried to spend as much time as possible with the children. Candy and blowing bubbles were a huge hit with the kids.
“Every gun that is made, every warship that is launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who are hungry and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” –Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Giving my students solar lights to study at night would change every students life. The light would allow them to study at night and would help them retain more of what I teacher during the day.”
We know that light translates to life in developing communities, and the success we encountered on Ilin Island can be spread to all the world’s impoverished regions, but this is a goal that is only made possible by the selfless support of people like you.
What are these boys’ hopes, dreams and desires? I honestly have no idea, but I have to believe they are the same as my son’s, the same as I had as child and the same hopes you had as a child.
We all want to be loved, accepted, cared for, happy, told we are good at something, encouraged to succeed and to feel like we belong to something greater than ourselves!
I know I could never fulfill all of those hopes and desires but, if giving these children a little joy, photo, candy, time, or a solar light encourages them just a little to NEVER GIVE UP, then I will never stop trying to do my part.
Your contribution will work to support the education of those who will encounter more efficient methods of conserving energy and finances while spreading HOPE where it is needed most.
For more information go to www.wattsoflove.org
Photography and captions by Kevin Kuster. Article by Erica Whelan
