August 06, 2003
Lighting in Kemon
Kemon, like many rural villages in West Africa, is not connected to the electric grid. Night-time lighting is mostly provided by various classes of kerosene lamps, although about 50% of the population can afford to use battery-powered flashlights for getting around town after dark. One of our goals for the visit with MVV was to introduce them to Light Up the World's solid-state LED lamps. Here (from left to right), we have an electrician from a larger, nearby village, our friend Gabriel Agbede, and MVV's technical expert Salomon Chabi getting a first-hand look at the LUTW lamps.
The LUTW lamps were a big hit. We left two units in the village for testing by the community, and Salomon has one unit at his office in Cotonou for additional testing.
In terms of community lighting, kerosene lanterns are the most common source of night-time illumination. There are a few different categories of kerosene-burning lamps.
- "Lampion" (simple, locally-made wickless kerosene lamp with open, sooty flame) - 100-200 CFA (US$0.20-0.40)
- Wick lantern with glass mantle (everything from inexpensive Chinese brand to pricey French brands) - 6,000-20,000 CFA (US$12-40)
Although fuel prices fluctuate significantly depending on the political situation in neighboring Nigeria, kerosene in Benin currently costs around 300 CFA/liter ($us0.60). In the village, fuel is rarely bought in liter quantities. Families will instead buy small quantities of kerosene in soda bottles for 50-100 CFA. 50 CFA ($US0.10) is enough kerosene for roughly two night's illumination in a lampion or slightly longer in a lantern.
It is also possible to find mantle lanterns that burn camping gas. The camping gas cannisters cost about 700 CFA ($US1.40) in the village, and last about three hours.
Below, Arcadius Chabi from MVV demonstrates a camping gas lantern (L) and a Chinese-made kerosene wick lantern (R).
As Dave Irvine-Halliday at LUTW has pointed out, both open-flame kerosene lamps and wick lamps with glass mantles represent a fire hazard. Thousands of children in Benin are burned every year in lantern accidents.
Posted by Timothy Prestero at August 6, 2003 03:44 PMRe: Lighting in Kemon...Aug 6, 2003
As an intermediate step, have you checked out pressurized kerosene lanterns? My father and uncle built their careers after WWII on manufacturing these in Southeast Asia for 40 years, for markets such as Malaysia and Indonesia before electrification. Initial equipment cost may be higher, but they are very bright and reliable. I think they currently do sell to East Africa. Let me know if I can be of help.
Posted by: C Zee at December 12, 2003 01:38 AM
