An essential and concomitant aspect of economic growth is a rapidly burgeoning demand for energy to feed agriculture, industry, business and domestic usage. Yet, in spite of massive escalation in supply, at present only 44 per cent of the rural households in India have access to electricity and a vast majority of villagers live in darkness. This adds its own dynamics to the circle of poverty with children unable to study, home industry and business greatly handicapped, information and communication confined to the basics, and the quality of life itself stultified.

With a view to provide lights in the non-electrified households through solar energy , Self Employed Women Association (SEWA) has successfully completed Project JYOTI – Solar Energy Project to benefit 2193 households spread across 41 villages in Dungarpur. The main objective of this project was to provide and promote use of solar energy for sustainable and green livelihood through training on assembly of solar lanterns to 90 community women and distributing them to 2193 non-electrified households.

Each buyer of the lantern contribute 30% of the cost, which will be used for repair and maintenance of the lanterns.

A group of women getting trained in assembling ‘solar-lanterns’

Trained women with lanterns