Aleya*, a 17-year-old girl, lives with her mother in a one-room house with corrugated iron sheet walls and a roof on the banks of the Nandakuja River in Natore. Her father left her mother and has not been providing any support to the family. Therefore, her mother works as a maid to sustain the family. They have faced numerous challenges, including a home destroyed by river erosion and continued financial hardships.
Aleya's mother, China, said she had learned from her daughter that Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha’s floating training centre came to the village and offered training on new skills. One day, she went to the training boat docked at the riverbank and observed women and girls receiving training. After visiting the boat, she decided to enrol her daughter in the training program. “Parents often worry about their daughter’s security when girls travel a long distance for education or training. But with the training boat arriving at the doorstep, they no longer have such concerns,” said China.
Through the onboard training sessions, Aleya underwent training in gender equality, healthcare, and financial literacy. She also received eight weeks of training in manufacturing and repairing Surya hurricane solar lanterns on a solar-powered floating training centre equipped with a solar workshop.
There are still gaps in access to electricity in Bangladesh. More than two-thirds of urban and rural grid-connected households lack power in the evening—the unreliable supply forces rural people to rely on kerosene for lighting. These households need safe, portable, weatherproof, durable, inexpensive, smoke-free, and improved light to replace kerosene lamps.
Rabiul Karim, the solar technician, trained Aleya to convert the traditional kerosene hurricane (lantern) into a solar lantern. Rabiul said, “Surya-Hurricane solar lantern is an innovative, low-cost solar lantern made from recycled parts of the traditional and much-used kerosene hurricane (lantern). Women bring used kerosene hurricane to us, where a five-watt CFL/LED is placed inside the glass globe, which replaces the wick and burner. Next, a 12V 7.5 Amp sealed lead battery is placed inside the oil reservoir. The opening of the reservoir is used as a recharging socket with a switch underneath it. Finally, the kerosene hurricane becomes a Surya-Hurricane solar lantern.”
Aleya has mastered the conversion of solar lanterns and has become a beacon of change in her community. She said, “I work as a part-time trainer on boats and courtyards and impart my knowledge to others, conducting training sessions. I have educated solar lantern users on how to operate solar lanterns.” Also, she visits the users’ homes to ensure that Surya-hurricane solar lanterns are functioning well.
The solar lantern skills have given Aleya income and hope. This additional income has enabled her to pay for her education and actively participate in family decision-making processes.
*pseudonym
