I'm giving solar LED lights for Christmas but please don't tell my friends and family because I want to surprise them. In fact, I ordered some just the other day.
I like the Bogolight because it is simple and well-designed (a full review is at Cool Tools) and charges standard AA batteries. This means it allows you to charge more than one set of batteries over time, what I call battery switching.
In addition, the company sends a second light to someone in the developing world and you can select the country and program. I sent my second set to Afghanistan through 50 Lanterns.
They cost $25 per unit.
This fits the idea that
Solar IS Civil Defense
builds toward a
Solar Swadeshi
and supports the one thing terrorists fear the most, free secular literacy. A reading light, and I know from experience that the solar LED Bogolight is a reading light, allows any child who wants to to read in bed.
In 1988 I visited China.
One evening, I walked out of the White Crane Hotel
on Shamian Island and crossed the bridge
into the city of Guangzhou.
There I saw a line of men
standing behind small folding tables
in closed shop doorways.
Coming closer, I saw that they were rebuilding and
reselling
plastic "disposable" lighters.
I want a solar rechargeable reading light
just like that,
some combination of a
solar electric chip, LED and button battery
as cheap, adaptable, and readily available
as a disposable cigarette lighter.
We need to make it possible
for every child around the world
to read in bed
and dream.
The Bogolight is a reality close to this dream.