A solar lighting initiative by PhoScope

Laziza Garden is lit! Come visit!

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May 11, 2022

3 young people seen from behind sitting on a bench and looking onto the garden

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.

Streetlights are up!

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July 26, 2021

Streetlight with banner showing our logos

We installed the first streetlights for our Light for Lebanon program in Beirut, on Salah Labaki road from Akkawi road to the orthodox hospital. This project was a collaboration with Live Love Beirut, an NGO doing much great work in rebuilding the country.

Firefighters also helped us to remove the old, broken lights and replace them with these beautiful solar-powered ones. Lebanon may be in an economic, political, and now a fuel crisis, but that doesn’t mean the streets have to be dark. Solar-powered lights will keep the streets safe and navigable!

WIL Awards Announced Today: We Won!

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June 10, 2021

We are thrilled to announce that our founder Nathalie Rozot, and our partner Manal Kahale, won the WIL Awards in the Initiative category for creating Light Reach and Light for Lebanon! 2020 was a tough year for so many people, but being able to help is the best motivator. Thank you to Women in Lighting for the acknowledgment and ongoing support, it means the world to us. You can watch Nathalie’s and Manal’s interviews from the event below (or click here to watch the full event and to see all of the inspiring nominees and winners). They explain in their own words what inspired them to create these initiatives and how you can support our work (donate here). All donations right now are funding Light for Lebanon, help us re-illuminate Beirut and demonstrate the power and resilience of solar lighting on an urban scale!

We could not do this work without the support of our generous sponsors:

  • DMF logo
  • DLF logo
  • Targetti logo
  • BEGA logo
  • essential light logo
  • JLC Tech logo

Performance Lighting Systems, IES Los Angeles Section, Loop Lighting, Bold Lighting

1,500 solar lights in Beirut

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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.