The Light for Education programme, took inspiration from the Midday Meal Scheme, where a hot nutritious meal was used as an incentive for parents to send their children to school, and for children to attend school. The state-funded meal programme ensured nutrition levels were restored and maintained among growing children. The question for SELCO was – whether solar-powered lamps that could be charged in schools would deliver a lighting solution at home. Would this mean better light at home and better attendance in school?

Without access to electricity, Rani, a high school student was at a disadvantage as she had to resort to inefficient and harmful methods like kerosene lamps, and was unable to meet her demanding study schedule. The Light for Education programme was designed to reach students like Rani, with a replicable and sustainable model that would ensure access to basic energy by providing them with solar-powered study lamps.

The team partnered with schools to set up solar charging stations that the children could use to charge their solar-powered lamps. The feedback was positive and the uptake was quick. From 2010 to 2018, the programme grew into a landmark intervention and its visibility grew exponentially.

The media visibility that the project received also caught the attention of many national-level philanthropic initiatives that took an active interest in it. By 2012, we had many local and national-level partners who were keen to fund the project. And for a while it seemed that the intervention had worked, and had supported thousands of students.

When the study lamps stopped working, it was costly and cumbersome for SELCO, as an enterprise to bear the cost of servicing the device. However, the repair work was not difficult and it could have been done at the school or household level. But neither the students nor the schools took ownership of the device.

While the programme succeeded in providing an entry-point solution, it wasn’t a comprehensive answer to the energy needs of households. Over time, SELCO enabled households to opt for more permanent solar-based energy solutions. Households started moving from portable lamps to permanent solar lighting solutions that were made possible with financing from banks, and microfinancing institutions.

Though the Lighting for Education programme had its limitations, it paved the way for more permanent and impactful solutions in rural energy access and education. Eventually, the programme was phased out and shifted focus to solar home lighting systems. In the new approach, SELCO identified beneficiary students and installed a permanent solar home energy system in their houses, which saw adoption in large numbers.