Typhoon Haiyan wiped out the buildings and services of an entire city. The Department of Energy estimated it would take over three months to restore electricity and in fact in some areas it has taken a lot longer. So there was, and remains, an urgent need to provide sustainable lighting. There was also a need to get economic activity going again and give people the power to get back on their feet. Innovating on the existing solar bottle light, Pepsi invested in a new kind of light. The first solar bottle light to work in the dark by adding locally available, low tech plastic tubing, an LED light strip, standard rechargeable batteries and off-cut solar panels.
We taught the people of Tacloban how to weld the simple copper circuit that runs the lamp. We not only put these world-first solar night lights in people’s hands but we also taught them to create, install and maintain new lights for themselves. These became lights for temporary shelters, bunkhouses and street lights. Pepsi funded the installation of the first 900 lights and together with Liter of Light volunteers, went out to bring them to the people who needed them most. The brand then encouraged more people to join in via social, PR and direct mail.
In the immediate aftermath of the typhoon, we were able to mobilise quicker than any other solar solution available. In the past six months, we have installed night lights for over 4,500 people. And we've given hundreds more the tools and the know-how to create solar night lights for themselves. The same technology has now spread to street-lighting and community centres. It would be ridiculous to say the problem is solved but according to Gregorio Lantao, town chairman of Tacloban City, the lights have given hope where before there was none.