Amplify Burundi

2. UN in NYC
Light is like air in many places - it just exists

3. But in Burundi..

4. Imagine you’re a student..

5. or a health clinic..

6. ● Energy poor, only 3% have access to electricity grid
● Most forced to source their own light (wood, kerosene)
● Rely on these costly, dim, and unhealthy energy sources
● Some home have single, small-scale electric lights
purchased through UNICEF-sponsored program
● Both lighting types need amplification - one light is not
sufficient to light a room
The Situation

7. Make existing small, cheap lighting
Our Focus
bigger

8. ● To teach communities to construct their own new daytime lighting, and
amplify existing nighttime lighting without adding extra power
requirements
(Initially for small electric lights, but will work with any small/cheap lighting)
The Idea

9. What we’re teaching:
1) Construction of “Water Bottle Light”
● Installed in a building’s roof
● Requires no electricity - directs sunlight into a room using
the refracting power of water
● Can be made of scrap materials
The Daytime Light

10. What we’re teaching:
2) Construction of amplifying (reflective) cone attachment to
Water Bottle Light to connect with:
● Any small electric light, such as the Nuru light (provided
through UNICEF-sponsored lighting program, Project
Lumiere)
Nighttime Light Amplifier

11. Special thanks to Yuye,
electrical engineer at Columbia
specializing in optics, who consulted
on the project design
Complete Lighting System Diagram

12. The Prototype

13. New movement to
Our Focus
teach
how to make existing small,
cheap lighting bigger

14. ● Amplify is at core a women’s and youth empowerment project
● Working through Solidarity Groups of women that are already active in
Burundi, we are creating a system to teach women and children how to
build. Produced infographic-based “Instructable” manual.
● Products will:
○ Improve quality of life
○ Provide opportunities to improve making + innovation skills
○ Provide income (eventually, units can be sold by these groups for
revenue)
Amplify System in the Community

17. ● Start with small-scale workshops with Solidarity Groups and
other existing women and children-focused groups. Leverage
existing Project Lumiere and associated lights.
● Expand project scope to include a revenue generation source.
Units can be sold for revenue by groups.
● Expand to other groups and countries with lessons learned.
● Grand vision: global platform for DIY maker instructions
designed for developing world needs + revenue generation.
Scale + The Future