Yahoo Lifestyle Making A Difference: 'We Help Bring Light To India's Slums'
The slums of Bangalore might seem an unlikely place for two young women from Sydney's northern suburbs. Yet that's exactly where you'll find Monique Alfris, 30, and Katerina Kimmorley, 27.
For the past 18 months, the pair has been providing low-cost, sustainable lighting to slums through their non-profit organisation, Pollinate Energy. The idea for Pollinate came about in 2012, soon after they both moved to India to work for another NGO. A few months later, India was hit by the world's largest blackout - plunging 700 million people into darkness. The experience gave Alfris and Kimmorley a new appreciation for life in the slums, where there's no electricity, and most homes are lit by kerosene lamps.
The pair decided to leave their jobs - as a sustainable engineer and energy consultant - and launch Pollinate with a few other friends from uni. The versatile lights they provide - a torch, desk lamp and hanging light - are powered by a tiny solar panel, and cost $30 each. "We've reached over 25,000 people," says Alfris.
The duo aim to reach all of India's major cities by 2020, and were last year recognised with two awards from the UN. But Kimmorley insists recognition doesn't drive them: "What keeps us ticking is ... the impact [the project has had] on the women in our communities who can now feel safe at night, are able to cook and watch their kids study." Visit www.pollinateenergy.org for more.
