In rural and developing areas of Africa, there is a lack of
expected comforts that other areas of the world take for
granted, such as light and energy. Sometimes building or
receiving these necessities help to stimulate communities and
raise the quality of life for families. To help encourage these
struggling areas, undergraduate students from the University of
KwaZulu-Natal, School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer
Engineering, in South Africa, will be designing and building a
solar photo-voltaic lamp that is portable and suitably priced
for rural households. The lamp will have additional functions
such as an AM/FM radio and the capability to charge mobile
phones. With further enhancement, it would also be capable of
including a miniature multi-media device. The project will
involve 4th year students at the University. The work of the
students will be guided and mentored by IEEE member Edward
Chikuni, along with a Senior Academic, who will insure that they
learn design skills and other necessary knowled