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October 15, 2008 10:16:15 PM CDT

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Africa: Let There Be Light

Posted Nov 16, 07 2:50 AM CST in Business,  World 

(Newser) – Even after decades of development, most African communities have no electrical power and still go dark when the sun goes down. Only 5% of Ugandans, 6% of the Congolese population and 15% of Kenyans have electricity. Now the World Bank has launched an initiative to light the homes of 250 million Africans by 2025. 

"The impact would be huge," said the head of the "Lighting Africa" initiative. "Globally, there are 1.7 billion people who lack reliable access to electrical services. You've got some technologies already in the market, but what you don't have are manufacturers who understand the needs of the African market."

Source Christian Science Monitor

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Kenyan school children climb a fence to get a better view, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007, at the World Poverty day celebration in a Nairobi slum in Kenya. When the sun goes down, Africa goes dark. Fewer than...   (Associated Press)
Fumi Akande washes plates for a restaurant in the street as her child plays nearby, in Lagos, Nigeria Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007.When the sun goes down, Africa goes dark. Fewer than 25 per cent of Africans...   (Associated Press)
A woman smokes fish to sell, in a poor area of Lagos, Nigeria, Wednesday, April 25, 2007. When the sun goes down, Africa goes dark. Fewer than 25 per cent of Africans have access to electricity for light...   (Associated Press)
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