Enhancing lives with light

Solar reading lights for school
children in Peru

My role as a journalist in the building industry means that I am exposed to some really innovative technology. In 2010, Philips Lighting travelled across Africa to spread the message of simply enhancing life with light through avenues such as bringing communities together at an evening game of football and enabling children to do school homework at night. These and many more activities would have been restricted without light from the sun, however with Philip’s solar light solutions, new social, healthcare and education possibilities could be created.

This lighting roadshow across Africa inspired me to see if Philips might be interested in getting involved with my project. Once I sorted out my volunteer trip, I approached my contacts there to see if they might have some portable solar lighting solutions suitable for the Peruvian Amazon. Their incredible team subsequently donated some of this ground-breaking technology, of which I then carried with me along my journey.*

Queros Indigenous Community

The MLC has a good relationship with the Queros community and even arranges for the volunteers to visit at the end of their placement. During my visit, I brought along portable solar lamps to be used for evening community meetings and nighttime emergencies. 

I also brought with solar reading lamps and gave them to the local school. These innovative and compact lamps illuminate books/papers to allow students to read and study at night. I also handed out solar powered and wind up torches to the Queros community. These not only act as bright LED torches, but have a mobile phone charger as well, which can provide the community with the opportunity for mobile phone communication (if they travel to areas with reception, of course).

Shintuya Indigenous Community

The Harakmbut people of Shintuya have a reputation of being some of the fiercest warriors in the Amazon. I was warned that they might come across as quite serious initially, which is understandable considering recent circumstances (oil exploration) and the fact I am a complete stranger. I was brought to Shintuya because their very basic medical centre would benefit from Philip’s portable solar light, as the facility has less than two hours of generator electricity a day. This means that if there were a medical emergency at night, there would most likely be no light to aid any treatment. I met up with a community leader and a local nurse to give them this donation and explain how it works.

The Manu Learning Centre (MLC)

This is where I was staying whilst working as a volunteer. Based in the Manu Biosphere Reserve, the MLC is quite isolated and has a generator that is turned on for an hour of electricity only twice a week. Battery-fuelled head torches and candles are the sources of light once darkness falls, so a portable solar light was definitely needed. This donation will allow the science team to work later into the day, provide good lighting for the kitchen staff (preparing evening meals for MLC staff and volunteers) and can supply quick and strong lighting for any nighttime emergencies.

 The lamp was already used for a medical incident when I was there. One of the volunteers had a nasty thorn stuck in his hand and had a nurse (who was volunteering there) remove it under the lamp’s bright light.

*A special thanks goes to fellow volunteer Lara Finan, who helped me by carrying a couple of solar lights out with her (as I couldn’t fit them all in my luggage). Thank you so much Lara!

Frankie’s Encyclopaedia of the Weird and Wonderful found at the MLC

Dinner Face Attacker:  This energetic critter (a.k.a. "cicada") enjoys leaping at your face when you are sitting at a candle lit table. It’s sheer force and scary buzzing sound upon impact can be quite nerve-wracking when trying to enjoy a well-earned meal.


Queen of the Jungle: This photo was snapped at night with a camera trap, where a sensor signals movement and sets off a camera device. The MLC has identified a larger than expected number of jaguars in the reserve, which is most likely due to habitat loss in surrounding and unprotected areas

Party (and sleep) Crashers: They might look cute and tiny in the day, but at night these little monsters (a.k.a. bats) like to make themselves noticed. This is achieved through urinating all over the staff and volunteers in the common area (as some have made a home in a ceiling nook) as well as attacking prey loudly in the wee hours.




Furry-fanged Tarantula: Found lurking around outside my accommodation at the MLC, this large hairy-scary spider was gracious enough to have its photo taken by five volunteers. I envisaged it would leap at my face, but it didn’t. It just quietly crawled away back into the forest after the photo shoot was over.


Clown Critter: It’s colourful and crawly – it’s the Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillar. This bright and meaty looking insect is rather large and likes to hang around its caterpillar family and friends in the rainforest.


Bug-alien Hybrid: Also known as a katydid, this otherworldly insect comes in various shapes and colours, including fluorescent green. It also goes through metamorphosis (and I witnessed this process whilst going on a night hike)

Jurassic Park Beetle: Spotting this clumsy and slow-moving rhinoceros beetle really made me realise that I was staying in the rainforest, as it was so large and primitive looking. I am not a huge fan of insects, but this strange creature really was a thing of beauty.

Orapendula Nest

Alarm Clock Bird: Identified by their unique bird call (similar to water dropping) and odd hanging nests, the Orapendula helps the sleepy volunteers at the MLC rise every morning.

5 things I learned in the Peruvian Amazon

Me and my trusty machete

A machete is an all-purpose tool. It can be used for: clearing trails, digging holes in soil (tree planting), stripping cane (for biogarden fences), hacking unruly bamboo, cutting fruit and walking support.

Conservation involves more than just preserving wildlife.  In order for a project to be sustainable, local people need to support the cause and benefit from the projects.

Primary forest mosquitoes are very large and have white stripes on their legs (seriously)

Listening in the most powerful sense in the jungle. Because the rainforest is so dense with plant life, it is very difficult to spot many of the animal species because they have plenty of hiding opportunities and our walking/crunching often alerts them of our presence. From monkey calls to birdsong, the sounds of the Amazon are key in identifying and tracking wildlife.


Rainforest destruction is a complicated and controversial issue that I barely touched upon. There are lots of socio-economical matters intertwined. People living in and around the rainforest need to feed their families and sadly destroying the trees (for agricultural land, logging and oil exploration) provides communities with the money needed to survive.