eBay made a donation to a non-profit organization that was founded by an employee. One Million Lights donates solar lights as an alternative to dangerous kerosene lamps for children in the poorest regions of the world. Anna Sidana, Director of Financial Products at PayPal, founded One Million Lights earlier this year with a goal of distributing one million safe, environmentally sound solar-powered LED lights to the homes of poor children.
"I am from India, and I have seen first-hand the importance education plays in providing opportunity to young people," said Sidana. "My father started a school in India 45 years ago, and when I visited it with my own children in 2003, it was so clear that something as simple as adequate light at home would allow students to get so much more out of their educations. I knew that giving them safe, environmentally-sound light would have a profound impact."
The "MightyLight" is specially designed to work in rugged, rural areas where electricity is unpredictable or non-existent. It offers a safe alternative to more dangerous and expensive kerosene lamps often used in developing nations. Cosmos Ignite Innovations, a company made up of young socially-conscious entrepreneurs from India and Stanford University, developed the light.
