On Monday, 22 children gathered in Hamden, Connecticut for a solar-themed vacation camp at the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop. Veteran Program Developer and Educator, Kiran Zaman, led the program. It included opportunities to learn about energy poverty and Let There Be Light International’s innovative solar programming and impact in off-grid communities in Africa. The children also built their very own solar powered homes!

Houses were modeled on typical rural homes in sub-Saharan Africa. Working solar cells powered the small led lights, which hung from the ceiling and illuminated the tiny houses. The children learned about how solar cells can collect energy from the sun during the day and store it. They discovered how anyone can use safe, reliable solar lights at night to keep ourselves and our families safe.

Said Zaman: “Our campers learned about the wonderful work of Let There Be Light International and how they bring solar light to those without power. The power outages in our area due to the storm on the weekend added to the impact of our experience!

“We made village houses from Uganda with solar panels that lit up LED lights. We made an LED map of African countries that suffer most from the lack of electricity. We added coordinating endangered animals to the map. And, we ended the day making a fun light-up top that the kids loved spinning. Small lights can make big changes!”

We deeply thank the EWM team for their hard work, creativity, and friendship. And, we look forward to lighting more lives (especially little ones) together! For each child who participated, the museum is donating one solar light to a child in Africa.

To learn more about the Eli Whitney Museum, please go to www.eliwhitney.org or call 203.777.1833