The problem: kerosene lamps

Light at the equator: kerosene lamps

You live in a place near the equator. The climate is nice and your bananas grow well, but due the latitude it gets dark at around 6pm/18.00 hrs. And pretty fast as well, there is hardly any twilight as many people that live at higher latitudes know it. Here, it is like a light-switch has been turned off: within a few minutes it is dark. Pitch dark.

Tanzanian house off the grid

In the western world, you would hardly think about this. Just touch the light switch and you can do whatever you want, you have defeated the darkness.

But you are one of the nearly 2 billion people that have no access to the electric grid. There are no light switches in the entire village.

So, instead, you take a match, grab one of your home-made kerosene lamps and light it. Problem solved.

Or created?

Where did the kerosene come from?

As you use several litres of kerosene per week, and you have no transport, you need to ask your husband for money, always resulting in friction and sometimes fights.

Home-made kerosene lamp

He has to work hard for a full day for that money and though he agrees we need it, he gets frustrated as his hard-earned money will go up in flames soon.

The money is about 25% of your total budget for the week and you would rather have spent it on your daughter’s school fees.

But she can always stay at home so that at least your son can stay in school this year. Next year you will think about what to do with him.

You wanted to sell some bananas today, but don’t have time as you need to walk for several hours to actually be able to buy enough kerosene for a few days of evening light.

After waiting in line, you walk several hours back, carrying the heavy container on your head. Don’t spill it as kerosene is not only expensive, but also non-volatile: if you get it on your skin or clothes, it will create irritation and the smell won’t go as it does not evaporate like gasoline.

Effects on your family

As every kerosene lamp provides a little light, you have to choose: one of your children can study or you can do some work that you missed during the day.

Children studying under the toxic fumes and little light of a kerosene- lamp

Whoever is the lucky one will start coughing within minutes as the toxic fumes enter their lungs.

Meanwhile headaches make any studying very hard and soon your son gives up and tries to clear his head. At least he does not have lung cancer as several of his classmates do.

While dizzy and gasping for fresh air yourself, you stumble against the table. The home-made kerosene lamp moves, but does not fall.

In your village at least 5 houses have burned down last month, due to kerosene lamps accidents. Falling and leaking lights and tables catching on fire while lighting the lamps in the dark after a refill of kerosene.

This time you are lucky, but your vision is getting blurry again and the irritation might turn into a blinding cataract. Maybe next time you won’t be able to see the table at all and you will end up with burned arms like your sister, unable to cook for your family.