Miina Matsuoka

May 11, 2022

Laziza Brewery in Beirut was a place of respite during the civil war, and neighbors have fond memories of enjoying an ice cold beer on its terrace. Most of what remained of the building was destroyed in the horrific Beirut blast, after which the community reclaimed the space and converted it into a garden. The great team at Rashet Kheir expanded on this initiative and planted fruit trees, built a community library, a covered seating area, benches and planters for vegetables, and invited artists to graffiti the remaining walls. Community events and performances here will bring the neighbors together again.

This was a very fun installation with Rashet Kheir and community volunteers.

April 22, 2021

Light Reach celebrates Earth Day with the first 1,500 solar lights for Light for Lebanon. We launched this program in response to the devastating port explosion that destroyed large swaths of Beirut in August 2020.

Beirut’s already unreliable electricity supply was crippled by the blast. With the ongoing economic crisis, the state electricity company cannot import enough fuel to power the country, so an informal network of diesel generators fills the gap. For too many people, generators, fuel and utility bills are simply not affordable, and they live in the dark.

Lighting accounts for 31% of residential electricity needs in Lebanon. Our solar lighting program reduces dependence on dirty and costly fuels, and frees up power for other urgent uses.

Our groundwork progresses rapidly (between lockdowns and curfews), and with our first 1,500 lights, we will soon have served about 800 families, 150 buildings, 5 streets and 1 park.

We work closely with fantastic local partners Beit el Baraka, Live Love Beirut, Al Chafaka, l’Ecoute and Nusaned to identify and serve those most in need,

Lighting is about more than light; it is about life after dark. Please spread the word and support our work – you can donate here.