A consignment of 800 solar lamps that have been donated to poor students in Arakan State by the the International Rotary Club of Taiwan arrived in Rangoon on 7th November.
The solar lamps will be donated to poor students from Yathedaung, Mrouk Oo, Minbya and Sittwe townships on 31st December according to Alodaw Pyi, a monk, who preaches in Burma and other countries.
The Taiwan based Rotary Club agreed to donate the lamps following a proposal from Dr Saw Mra Aung, the former president of the Arakan League for Democracy and the Arakan National Social Rescue Association in Rangoon.
The lamps will be given to poor students in rural areas of Arakan State which have no access to electricity. The students will be able to use the solar lamps instead of candles or kerosene lamps for studying.
The solar lamps charge up during the day in the sun then they can produce light when it gets dark. They are eco-friendly and using them produces no carbon emissions, unlike most other sorts of electric lights.
U Kyaw Aye Maung, secretary of Arakan National Social Rescue Association, said that at the same time as the lamps were being distributed a team of around 50 doctors from the U.S.A., New Zealand, Taiwan and Hong Kong would also tour Arakan State giving people free medical check-ups.
