A solar lighting initiative by PhoScope

1,500 solar lights in Beirut

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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.

arc features Light for Lebanon

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February 16, 2021

The February 2021 issue of arc features Light for Lebanon in an interview with our partner Manal Kahale. She reveals her path to lighting design that took her from her hometown Beirut to NYC, Dubai and Los Angeles, where she met her mentors and honed her skills. She returned to Beirut to give back to a community devastated by the largest non-nuclear explosion in history, ongoing economic and political turmoil, and now the pandemic. We are thrilled to partner with her to bring our scalable and replicable solar-powered lighting model to Lebanon. Click here to read the article and if you are able, please donate.

#GivingTuesday is a week from today.

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November 24, 2020

Give Light on Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is a week from today. This year, choose to Give Light.

Three months after the explosion in the port of Beirut, 250,000 people are still in the dark. Light for Lebanon provides solar-powered lights to help communities get back on their feet. We are donating portables for indoor and outdoor use, and installing flood-lights and street-lights so residents can safely walk, work, and play after sunset. Please donate and help us reach our goal of $100,000 and provide 3,000 lights for the residents of Beirut!

Light for Lebanon on SWANA Region Radio

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SWANA Region Radio features Light for Lebanon in an interview with our partner Manal Kahale and our legal consultant Elizabeth Boulos. Click here to hear them explain the damages from the August 4, 2020 blast, the current situation on the ground, and how Light for Lebanon is aiding residents by providing them with much needed solar-powered lighting.

Introducing our new program partner for Light for Lebanon

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Sept. 3, 2020

  • portrait of Manal

We are very pleased to introduce Manal Kahale as our partner for our newest program Light for Lebanon.

Raised in Lebanon, Manal studied Landscape Architecture at the American University of Beirut and holds a master’s degree in Lighting Design from Parsons in NYC. She worked in the USA for four years before returning to Lebanon to try and bridge both worlds through lighting. However, her return to her home country was more difficult than anticipated with the unfolding economic crisis as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally on the 4th of August 2020, the biggest non-nuclear explosion ever recorded. This catastrophe unlocked feelings of communal support triggered by the complete absence of any relief efforts on the part of the Lebanese government. As a result, Manal decided to use her knowledge and experience to partake in relief efforts both as an active citizen and a lighting designer.

We are thrilled by this partnership and by the opportunity to quickly and sustainably re-illuminate Beirut.

Light Reach launches Light for Lebanon

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August 28, 2020

Three weeks ago on August 4, 2020, the largest non-nuclear explosion in history tore through Beirut, destroying homes, businesses and entire neighborhoods in this beautiful metropolis that was once called the Paris of the Middle East. The blast killed over 180 people, injured 6,000 and left 300,000 homeless. An already shaky power grid sustained significant damage plunging much of the city into darkness after sunset.

  • destroyed traditional house with decorative ceilings visible from outside
  • street and cars covered in rubble with blown out windows and dangling air conditioners

This disaster unfolded on top of an existing economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, and ongoing protests against decades of corruption. The silver lining lies in Lebanon’s creative, entrepreneurial citizens and their can-do spirit, as they mobilize to clean up and rebuild in place of their government.

  • workers sweeping rubble from stairs
  • young volunteers with brooms and masks

Lebanese architectural lighting designer and activist Manal Kahale contacted Light Reach to assist her in bringing solar-powered lighting to the damaged areas. Our existing replicable and scalable model is readily adaptable to quickly bring some illumination to the darkened streets without having to wait for grid restoration or construction. In this effort we launched our newest program, Light for Lebanon.

It has been three weeks and citizens have been busy clearing the rubble, but reconstruction will require a large influx of funding, equipment and materials. In the meantime too many are still living in the dark. Please DONATE to help quickly bring back the light to Beirut.

From Hurricanes to Earthquakes: Puerto Rico’s Darkness Calls for Resilient Lighting Systems.

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February 7, 2020

Today the House approved an earthquake relief package for Puerto Rico, but the White House opposes releasing the funds. Meanwhile the island is still awaiting billions of dollars in aid approved for reconstruction after Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Puerto Rico has experienced hundreds of aftershocks since the 6.4 magnitude earthquake that shook the island on January 7th and caused an island-wide power outage. This is compounding existing damage from the devastating Hurricanes Maria and Irma that still hasn’t been adequately addressed. Maria caused the largest blackout in US history (second largest in the world!) and it took 11 months to restore power.  This sequence of natural disasters and inadequate responses highlight the need for off-grid power.

Light Reach’s solar lighting kits provide an immediate solution to communities experiencing light poverty: they are rapidly deployable and easy to install. In the event of a hurricane, one kit allows a community to distribute 50 portable lights to families, and to shelter and immediately re-install 10 flood lights and 5 pole lights.

Together, we can do a lot. Help us bring resilient and sustainable lighting solutions to Puerto Rican communities. Please contact us to become a project sponsor, and donate: https://lightreach.net/donate/