The Signify Foundation lights up lives in off-grid NTT villages

• The foundation, through Signify Indonesia’s signature KTHE program, distributed solar-based Philips LifeLight units for households and community health centers, and Philips SunStay units to light up public roads
• This program has reached more than 65,000 people on Timor and Sumba Island

Jakarta, Indonesia – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, continues its commitment to bring light to off-grid communities in Indonesia. This year, Signify Indonesia's signature “Kampung Terang Hemat Energi (“Bright Energy-Saving Villages”/KTHE) program, funded by the Signify Foundation, brings light to 16 communities in Kupang and Central Sumba regencies, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The program distributed 1,375 units of Philips LifeLight to the deserving households along with 16 new road lighting points with Philips SunStay in 8 villages and their connecting routes in Kupang. In Central Sumba, 1,826 units of Philips LifeLight were delivered for households as well as 3 community health centers in 8 villages.

“To many people, lighting is taken for granted. Even though it is an essential part of everyday life, there are still off-grid communities who have their activities limited to mostly daytime. This, of course, reduced their productivity as a whole and limited their ability to make a living, in addition to the health risks posed by kerosene-fueled lamps, candles and torches,” commented Dedy Bagus Pramono, Country Leader Signify Indonesia.

Supported by the Signify Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting underprivileged and underserved communities across the world by enabling access to light, Signify brought solar-powered LED lighting to enable people in remote, rural areas to conduct daily activities after dark. This “additional daylight” transforms the way people conduct their daily lives. Thanks to this, the villagers no longer expose themselves to the visual or respiratory risks of using candles and kerosene lamps. Lighting installed at public facilities such as the community health centers allowed villagers to have access to care during a medical emergency, even when it’s already dark outside.

Partnering with Kopernik, a local NGO specializing in technology to empower residents in remote villages, the Signify Foundation provided solar-based home lighting. The Philips LifeLight home solar lighting is safer, healthier, brighter and last 10 times longer (up to 40 hours) than kerosene lamps and candles. A useful feature of the Philips LifeLight is a USB port that can be used to charge mobile phones at home. To light up village roads, the company installed Philips SunStay, the all-in-one solar road light with integrated battery, solar panel and charger all built into the luminaire.

One of the typical of the remote villages chosen to receive the solar lighting systems is Sillu village in Kupang regency. Living only a four-hour drive from Kupang city, the 5,000 villagers have never enjoyed the conveniences of electricity. The residents used to light wood torches so they could collect water at night. The women, who make a living from weaving, had to do all weaving during the daytime, when it was possible to see and inspect the work being done.

“As the village chief, all I ever wanted for my people was to have light, so they wouldn’t have to use a burning torch just to get water, and they didn’t have to live in the dark,” said Maksen Banni, the village chief of Sillu. “I’m very grateful that now we even have road lighting to light up the water source, so my people can safely get the water they need. With light, people can also do activities at night.”

As the leader in lighting, Signify seeks to unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. Since the invention of solar lighting, the company is committed to offer a lighting system for both indoor and outdoor use that relies on sustainable energy such as sunlight. Since the first KTHE program in 2015, in total Signify has brought solar-based lighting to 46 off-grid villages across Indonesia, lighting the lives of over 90,000 people who previously did not have access to light. Signify believes that its sustainable solar lighting systems will help light up more areas across Indonesia and improve the quality of life in significant and meaningful ways.