A ‘Good Light’ Saves Lives in Sri Lanka

The moaning, the stench of scorched flesh, and occasionally the silence of death. The scenes in hospital burn units became all too familiar for Dr. Wijaya Godakumbura.

The cause was often the same-- homemade kerosene lamps fashioned from discarded medicine or water bottles. A cloth wick is wedged into a cap that easily pops off if the bottle topples, spilling a fiery stream of fuel.

Godakumbura set out to find a safer way for impoverished Sri Lankans to light their homes. He came up with a solution that he dubbed the “Sudipa,” the Sinhalese word for “good light.”

His invention is slightly bigger than a man’s fist and nearly the same shape, so it is much more stable than the taller, narrower bottles used for makeshift lamps. Its sides are squared off to prevent rolls, and its cap fits securely.

Best of all, the Sudipa sells for just 12 rupees, or about 17 cents. That is not as cheap as a homemade lamp, but it is more affordable than factory-made kerosene lanterns that sell for 300 to 500 rupees.

“I would treat the burn victims and watch,” Godakumbura said. “It was very depressing. Often the smell coming from burnt flesh and skin would be engulfing. I told myself I must do something to stop this human disaster.”

Every year, 150 to 200 deaths and thousands of serious injuries are attributed to the use of homemade bottle lamps in Sri Lanka, a nation of 18.5 million people. The government spends $2 million annually to treat bottle lamp victims.

About 1.5 million houses on this teardrop-shaped island off the southern tip of India have no electricity. Most people without power turn to bottle lamps because they’re so much cheaper than factory lanterns. Candles are even cheaper at 3 rupees apiece, but give off less light and don’t last as long.

Godakumbura first thought of making a safer lamp in 1992 while working in a state-run hospital there. He experimented with various lamps and candles available in Sri Lanka, but found some unsuitable and others too expensive.

He eventually developed his own design, went to a manufacturer, and the Sudipa was born.

Godakumbura started producing the lamp in 1994 and since then has turned out 225,000, of which he has given away more than half. Sudipas carry no labeling and are shipped in old cardboard boxes to keep costs down.

The doctor is often invited on Sri Lankan television shows to talk about his lamp, and the appearances usually prompt orders.

“Frustration comes when I receive hundreds of letters from villagers who want the lamps, but I can’t send them,” he said, explaining that distribution has been slowed by Sri Lanka’s poor infrastructure. “Though Sri Lanka is a small country, it is difficult to transport goods to many villages while keeping the cost factor under control,” Godakumbura said.

He has asked the government to help through its network of state-run consumer shops, but has not yet been able to work out a deal.

Although bureaucrats have been slow to respond, science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, perhaps the island’s most famous resident, donated $1,000 to Godakumbura’s project. He keeps a Sudipa on his desk for power outages.

“It looks very simple, but someone had to come up with the idea,” Clarke said. “Even a simple thing can change a life.”