CIS students, teachers and parents watch as a solar bottle bulb is installed in the house of one of their beneficiaries. (Contributed Photo)
The students of Cebu International School (CIS) embarked on an important mission with great resolve — to disperse darkness in neighboring communities in barangay Pit-os, Cebu City.
An alliance has been forged between the CIS and MyShelter Foundation to light up households with eco-friendly solar bottle bulbs through the foundation’s “A Liter of Light Project”.
A solar bottle bulb, filled with distilled water and bleach, can provide up to 55 watts of light, enough to brighten 15 sq.m. of interior space.
Weeks prior to the first solar bottle bulb installation, the grades 4 and 5 students of CIS initiated a project dubbed as “Bizarre Bazaar” at the CIS open canteen to raise funds for solar bulbs. Various items like old books, pre-loved toys, fashion jewelry and baked goodies were displayed at the bazaar.
Some students raised funds through a car wash enterprise, doing household chores, while others solicited donations.
After two weeks, the students were able to raise a total of P50,000, enough to cover the cost of materials for 50 solar bottle bulbs.
Students and some members of the recipient communities were trained by the ‘Liter of Light’ project technicians to build and assemble the solar bottle bulbs.
Last Feb. 12, the first six solar bottle bulbs were installed in three pre-identified homes.
The homeowners couldn’t stop smiling when they saw their humble abodes brighten up.