LIGHT FOR LIFE: SOLAR ENERGY IN NEPAL

Imagine a life without electricity.

With no lights, electric stove, or water pump, women and children from rural communities must travel miles to fetch clean, safe drinking water and firewood. At home, an open fire is all that is available for cooking, increasing the risk of lung and heart disease. In hospitals, babies are born in the dark and many do not survive. Giving birth at a clinic that lacks air conditioning and modern medical equipment and vaccines, which require refrigeration, leave children vulnerable to diseases. After school in the evenings, children must study by the light of a kerosene lamp. Earning a living in these conditions is tough. No electricity means no work.
 

Such is the plight of 2.3 billion people around the world.

In Nepal, roughly 80% of the population lack access to reliable electricity. For those lucky enough to have a grid connection, the average power outage is 9 hours each day; during the dry season this can reach over 20 hours. In addition, many traditional energy sources are highly destructive to the environment. Lack of access to electricity prevents access to high quality healthcare, education, water and other services that are fundamental to the alleviation of poverty and an improved quality of life.
 

In partnership with non-profit organizations Sunfarmer and Photographers Without Borders, Light for Life: Solar Energy in Nepal is a mixed media documentary project directed by American photojournalist Kristin Lau, that harnesses the power of visual communication through storytelling, photography and videography to raise awareness for solar energy solutions in Nepal. As the country rebuilds, solar energy, now more than ever, is a feasible and powerful solution to combat energy poverty.