Audi brings light to remote Amazonian villages with solar energy
Providing solar lighting to three villages in the Amazon region that are so isolated that they do not have a reliable connection to the power grid. This is the mission of Litro de Luz Brasil, an NGO jointly supported by the Audi Environmental Foundation and Audi do Brasil.
Being able to walk safely in the evening or read a book and finish your homework even if there is no electricity at home: these are the goals of the NGO Litro de Luz Brasil, which is ready to help illuminate three remote villages in the Amazon with solar energy by installing street lamps and supplying the population with portable lamps. The NGO, which is supported by the Audi Environmental Foundation and Audi do Brasil, is working to ensure stable lighting for people living in an area with no connection to the electricity grid.
The local population will be involved in all phases of the project, from the first assessment to installation and a final survey to evaluate the real impact. Litro de Luz Brasil will also take care of the future maintenance of the lights and organise the collection of used lithium batteries, while training ambassadors to represent the organisation in the region. More than 100 families will benefit from the project and the work is expected to be completed by mid-2022.
Bringing light where it is sorely needed
The Audi Environmental Foundation was established in 2009 with the aim of promoting innovative projects and technologies designed to protect the environment. "Electricity is absolutely essential to everyday life, but it is still not readily available in many regions of the world. Access to a reliable power supply is often hard to find, particularly for villages in remote areas," said Rüdiger Recknagel, CEO of the Audi Environmental Foundation.
"Electricity is necessary, however, for people to have access to society and education - after all, it is hard to read without light. With this in mind, the Audi Environmental Foundation is joining forces with Audi do Brasil to support the Litro de Luz Brasil initiative. In this way, we are not only strengthening our relationship with our Brazilian colleagues, but also bringing light to places where it is sorely needed."
"This project connects several elements of Audi's DNA at once: innovation, technology, electrification and, above all, the desire to help people live a better life. We keep talking about the future, but we can't forget that there are millions of people around the world whose basic needs are not being met. Solar lighting is not only carbon neutral, but it will also improve social conditions as well as health and safety in these villages," explains Antonio Calcagnotto, Head of External Affairs and Sustainability at Audi do Brasil.
More than 23,000 people helped by the initiative
The NGO Litro de Luz Brasil works in all five regions of the country bringing solar lighting to communities without a stable connection to the electricity grid. The initiative provides lamp posts, hand lamps and other solar solutions made from simple materials such as PET bottles and PVC pipes, complemented by solar panels, rechargeable batteries and LED lamps.
The organisation started its activities in Brazil in 2014 and has already helped more than 23,000 people thanks to the support of about 200 volunteers, working together with the local populations. The initiative sets no geographical limits: it is present in urban centres and rural regions, in traditional villages on the riverbanks and in indigenous settlements.
"This collaboration between Litro de Luz and Audi is an ideal way to help us achieve our dream of bringing light to the Amazon regions, where most Brazilians live without access to electricity," said Laís Higashi, founder of Litro de Luz Brasil. "We strive to work with partners like Audi, who have a sincere desire to help improve the lives of those most in need." The partnership between the 29-year-old and Audi began in 2021, when Higashi received a scholarship from the Audi Environmental Foundation for the One Young World Summit.
It all started with an idea
Litro de Luz Brasil is one of more than 15 members of the global 'Liter of Light' movement, which started in the Philippines in 2011 and was inspired by a 2001 invention by Brazilian mechanic Alfredo Moser. His "Moser lamp" consists of a PET plastic bottle, filled with water and bleach, fitted into a hole in the roof like a traditional lamp, providing the same light as a 60-watt bulb.
Source: AUDI AG
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