Liter of Light

Community solar lighting · Philippines

Light that communities can build, carry, and repair.

Liter of Light turns practical engineering, reclaimed materials, and community knowledge into portable solar lighting for families beyond reliable power grids.

See the stories Explore the designs
A girl in La Union, Philippines studies outdoors at dusk with a solar study light
After sunsetLight keeps learning in motion.

Measured impact

More than a lamp

Local training, repairable systems, and material reuse extend each light’s value far beyond the first night.

500+solar lights developed
2,000+people reached
100+community volunteers trained
10+remote communities
~50 tcarbon emissions reduced
30%+lighting-cost savings
20+training and outreach events
3,000+plastic bottles repurposed

Nighttime lighting has increased children’s study time by an average of two hours, while community nighttime activities and small-business activity have increased by 40%. More than 500 young people have joined training and environmental-awareness activities, supported by long-term collaboration with more than five local partners and recognition through more than three sustainability and community-innovation awards.

Founder introduction

Sarah
(Linyan) Zou

Founder of Liter of Light
Student at La Salle-Bacolod Integrated School, Philippines

Sarah (Linyan) Zou is a young innovator and social entrepreneur from the Philippines. She is a student at La Salle-Bacolod Integrated School and the founder of the nonprofit project Liter of Light.

Sarah and her teammates started Liter of Light to collect discarded electronics and reuse solar panels and LED lights. Using engineering skills, they turn these materials into portable solar lamps for families without reliable electricity.

So far, the team has made more than 500 lamps. They work with local schools and community centers to distribute the lamps. They also hold workshops to teach villagers how to make their own lamps.

A lamp means much more than light. It means that a child can read one more page at night, an older person can continue working after dark, and a family can still sit together in the evening.

If you also believe in the power of light, you are welcome to join us. You can donate an old electronic device or help share our story with more people. You can become part of the light.

The light in everyday life

What becomes possible after dark

These scenes show how portable solar lighting supports study, mobility, craft, and household work in Philippine communities.

A girl in La Union, Philippines studies outdoors at dusk with a solar study light
Children Studying by Solar Light

La Union, Philippines. A girl uses an SM200 solar light to do her homework at dusk. The lamp casts steady, focused light across her books, while the background remains a rural home without reliable indoor electricity.

An indigenous Filipino child studies by a solar lamp in Oriental Mindoro
Children Studying by Solar Light

Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. A child from an Indigenous community studies by a solar lamp inside a bamboo-and-timber home. The lamp replaces kerosene lamps, which pose fire and smoke hazards and require ongoing fuel purchases.

Filipino children study together at night with a portable solar light
Children Studying by Solar Light

Philippines. Three children gather around a portable Nokero solar light to complete their homework.

Children in a remote Mindanao community hold portable solar lanterns at dusk
Children Studying by Solar Light

Jose Abad Santos, Mindanao. Children in a remote community display the portable solar lights they received after dark. A handle, wide base, and side diffuser make each light easy to carry between the walk home, studying, and family activities.

A Filipino mat weaver works with plant strips in an evacuation camp in Maguindanao
Helping Elders Continue Their Craft and Livelihood After Dark

Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao. At age 53, Zulaika Lamikan continues weaving ikam mats in an evacuation camp. Solar lighting allows her to keep working after dark without relying on dim kerosene lamps that require repeated fuel purchases.

Zulaika Lamikan holds the portable solar lamp that lets her weave after dark
Helping Elders Continue Their Craft and Livelihood After Dark

The same weaver with the solar lamp she uses. Together, these two photos document the experience of weaving by lamplight: one records her work during the day, while the other shows the portable light that allows her to continue working at night.