Light Up The World Foundation

Light Up The World Foundation (LUTW) is an international humanitarian organization affiliated with the University of Calgary dedicated to illuminating the lives of the world’s poor. There are over two billion people in the world without access to electricity. When night falls, their only source of light is usually a kerosene lamp which is unsafe, ineffective, and relatively expensive. As a result, night time is not a very productive part of the day, especially for children who are unable to read or do homework effectively or safely. It was the desire for a solution to improve the literacy and education of children in the developing world that led to the creation of Light Up The World Foundation (LUTW). LUTW’s solution is to apply 21st century lighting technology utilizing White Light Emitting Diodes (WLEDs) as a community development tool. LUTW’s lamps are safe, simple, rugged, affordable, efficient and environmentally sustainable.

After three years of design and field testing LUTW began with the installation of 150 lighting systems in four remote villages in Nepal in 2000. Since then together with partners and donors, LUTW has expanded its operations to over a dozen countries providing a real opportunity for healthier lives and advancements for over 20,000 people. Some of the countries LUTW has worked in include Sri Lanka where over 660 homes have been lit; Mexico, in partnership with the Technology Institute of Monterrey and the Marist Brothers, where 100 homes have been lit; and Ghana, in partnership with Canadian Hydro Developers Inc and the Calgary Zoo, who over the course of 2005 are lighting up the Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary. LUTW projects have brought tangible gains to communities, enhancing their health and safety, fostering local education, developing an economic infrastructure and protecting the physical environment. WLED technology is the light of the new millennium and LUTW has set a goal of 200,000 homes to be lit over the next few years. To learn more about Light Up The World Foundation, please visit: www.lutw.org.