Rakesh can now recharge his mobile without additional cost!

Eighteen year old, Rakesh is unlike other city teenagers, of his age. He hails from a conservative and traditional community in rural Jaipur and was married at the age of 12. Child marriage, is one custom that still prevails in many parts of rural India where children as young as 10 and 12 years old are married and made to live separately till the girl turns 18.

In a custom called ‘Gauna’, the young girl of 18 is sent back to her husband’s house to live with him and his family. In all those years of separation, the couple are not allowed to meet or communicate and this was possible, as there were hardly any means of communication in rural villages, until now.

Rakesh, who just turned 18 himself, has to wait a couple of years more before he can meet his wife, but thanks to a public phone in his village, he can stay in touch with her. But this was proving very costly for him as he had to pay Rs. 5 for each call and also had to travel a long distance, to reach the phone booth. He bought a mobile phone which proved to be even costlier as it had to be charged every day and with no electricity, in his village, he had to travel far to get it charged.

With the arrival of the solar lantern, life has become easier as the solar lantern has the provision for  charging the mobile phone. He can thus, save much time and money and most importantly, can stay in touch with his wife.

Thank you, Laurent, for this wonderful gift of a solar lantern that has brought much happiness in Rakesh’s life!