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The background of Jua Taa Limited

  The concept is the brainchild of David Speakman, who continues in charge of development and manufacture of the lamps.

   It arose out of his huge concern over the high incidence of injury and loss of life and property from accidental fires caused by candles and paraffin lamps, and the overwhelming number of the citizens of his adopted country of Uganda being forced to use such hazardous means as the only source of lighting in their homes.

   The same problem extends to schools, orphanages and hospitals across the country.

   Of course, the problems experienced by David Speakman are multiplied across the world in all developing countries.

   It is his mission to bring his lamps to all homes and caring institutions. This would make a dramatic difference to the quality of life of local people everywhere.

What are the problems of “naked flame” lighting?

These are threefold:

1.   Fire hazard

2.   Financial burden

3.   Health hazard.

   —the fire hazard

   Especially in the highly combustible homes built in the majority of developing countries, the fire hazard is simply enormous.
 
   In fact, so common are hut fires and the deaths and serious injuries caused by them that they are rarely reported in the media.

   It is only when countless dwellings are destroyed by a single conflagration in a slum area or an incident such as 20 eight-year old girls dying in a boarding school fire, that such events become newsworthy.

   In other cases, whole villages have been burnt to the ground by blazes caused by naked flame lighting. 

   The cost in human suffering, not only to adults but children as well, is devastating.

 —the financial burden

   It is impossible to give accurate figures on what a “typical” family in a developing country would have spent annually on liquid paraffin or candles, but 35BPS ($70 US) would have been an indication.

   This might not sound a lot but in fact it represented a goodly proportion of their annual income, forcing them in many cases to buy liquid paraffin in litres or part-litres, and candles one at a time.

  However, the recent big increases in oil prices have virtually doubled these figures, and the situation has been exacerbated by rapidly rising food prices to the point where, in countless households, life now simply comes to a stop at sunset—typically 6.30 to 7.00 pm—making work and children’s homework an impossibility after dark.

  Many children are unable to complete their homework in the light because they have a one or two hour walk home from school, and then are traditionally expected to do either household chores or work in the fields first. 

  In an attempt to solve the problem, people often resort to desperate measures to get light: petrol mixed with old engine oil, strips of car tyres, using sticks for candles or buying from unscrupulous dealers selling liquid paraffin mixed with water—all of which are not only extremely dangerous but give rise to serious indoor pollution.

—the health risks 

   The scale of the fire problem overshadows another serious danger of liquid paraffin and candles: the health risks. Most people do not know that both paraffin and candles (which happen to be made from paraffin wax) are a by-product of the petroleum industry, and as such, constitute a huge threat to health.

   One danger is that every year numerous children are poisoned by ingesting liquid paraffin.

  Research studies, by such organisations such as the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) show that paraffin lamps and candles emit over 20 dangerous compounds in significant quantities including acetone, benzene, toluene and lead. 

  Many are typically associated with combustion or burning, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide.

  These pollutants are known to have a variety of adverse effects from headaches, through to breathing difficulties and possibly death. The effects may show at any time from shortly after exposure to years later. They also occur more readily in certain susceptible people such as the elderly, children, and asthmatics.

  According to experts, soot particles from candles or paraffin travel deep into the lungs and have been known to cause upper respiratory problems as well as an increased risk of cancer. This is not surprising considering that the fumes given off by a naked flame are similar to those coming from the exhaust of a diesel engine.

  In addition to this, many core wicks on candles have been found to contain lead and this has been proven to cause accidental poisoning and other health problems as outlined below. Lead is added to prevent the wick from falling over and extinguishing itself as soon as the wax surrounding it melts and fails to provide support.

15 brands of candles made in the United States, Mexico and China were tested for lead levels. The EPA’s maximum recommendation for lead in the air is 1.5 micrograms per cubic metre. In the test, after five hours the lead levels still recorded up to 65.3 micrograms per cubic metre. The candles produced in China and the United States were the worst culprits.

  Another recent study showed that burning a lead-wicked candle for only three hours could still result in concentrations of lead in the air nine to thirty-three times higher than those acceptable under American Federal guidelines.

  Regular exposure to this could pose health risks to people with weak immune systems, especially children and the elderly.

  Lead poisoning remains one of the most serious environmental health diseases in many parts of the world.

  It can aggravate respiratory problems including asthma, and it affects many organs and biochemical processes, with the most serious often occurring in the central nervous, cardiovascular and blood systems.

  Studies have also shown that the central nervous system of children is particularly sensitive, and the results of even low level exposure to lead can be irreversible.

  Some of the most damaging neuropsychological effects of lead poisoning of young children include learning disabilities, reduced psychometric intelligence and behavioural disorders.

  Yet billions of lead-wicked candles continue to be sold annually, especially in developing countries.

-The solution

   As a complete solution to all three problems (fire risk, health risk, and financial burden), David has developed a range of solar powered lamps under the Jua-Taa label (Jua-Taa means “sun light” or “sunlight lamp” in Kiswahili).

   Solar powered lamps have always been the obvious solution to areas without electricity, or where the electricity supply is erratic and possibly available for only a few hours a day. They have also been the obvious, safe solution to liquid paraffin and candles.

   However, until now, their cost has been prohibitive as a general solution in developing countries. And where the cost was within reach (such as for garden use), the light emission was insufficient to meet the needs of work, reading or, in the case of school children, homework.