A £10 lamp could save a life

Harrison with his solar lamp

Imagine the fear of a teenager, who dropping to sleep reading by the light a kersosene lamp, wakes as she accidentally knocks it over - narrowly avoiding a life-threatening fire and serious burns.
This is what happened to one of our scholarship girls in the last week.
 Most of our scholarship kids live in homes without electricity and when it is dark, it is pitch black.

Many, many,  families rely on kerosene lamps and they, in turn, are the cause of fires causing thousands of deaths or severe burn injuries every year here in Kenya.,

Deeply concerned .Mr Isaac, our deputy head, came to tell Mama as soon as the girl, a very bright and talented pupil, had told him of her narrow escape.
She had been trying to read a school book by the light of a kerosene lamp, had fallen asleep with it burning. 

We try to ensure homework is done after school, at school, but bright kids still want to read outside school and it is important to ensure they can safely do so,  

Mama orderslamps

When this girl, who lives with an aunt, gets home from school or in the holidays  she has to help with chores and to cook for her the family while her aunt is out selling vegetables to make a meagre living.. By the time they have eaten and cleared away night has fallen - it is dark by 7pm. That is the only time she has to settle down with her books.

Mama, horrified by the story, made the instant decision to provide solar powered lamps to every child on a free place who needs one.

"It is small things, like this, that make such a difference. These could save lives," she said.

"I've seen people and kids with terrible scars from burns caused by kersosene lamps."

Each solar-power lamp, with a really strong beam, costs approx £10.

 If you would like to meet the cost of a light for a child  please make a donation online at http://www.justgiving.com/childrenofwatamu/Donate