A seven-day training course on lED light bulb assembly and related works for participants from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand jointly organised by Society Of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists (SPECS), The Doon School, Welham’s Boys School, Welham’s Girls School, concluded at Kandoli village on Wedneday. Each of the 28 participants worked together to learn advanced skills in lED light bulb assembly, carved bamboo ornamental light shades and solar emergency lights during the course of seven days. An electronic kit was distributed to each group by SPECS at the conclusion of the programme.
According to SPECS secretary Brij Mohan Sharma, the programme was held under the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) which provides funding opportunities for community service to those who have been at the United States of America for teacher education programmes. Out of a total 829 proposals submitted from 137 countries this year only two have been selected from India and ‘lighting Up lives’ is one of them. Staying committed to the agenda of all inclusive community development, the workshop also hosted four speech and hearing impaired participants.
The most creative of them all seemed to be a young musician from Austria who is visiting India to learn Yoga. “I am very excited and happy. I have learnt a lot about community living. It’s a way of being together and is very different from what I have experienced in Austria.
The SPECS secretary said, “The experience for each of the participants as well as the organisers has been unique. We have learnt resilience and patience from them and they have learnt a skill to earn their livelihood and light up lives. On the last day at the valedictory session each participant spoke on how they felt challenged at the beginning of the workshop and even wanted to go back. But once they felt at home and experienced the family like atmosphere they changed their views,” he said.
The Doon School, physics department head and coordinator of the programme, Rajesh Majumdar said that the main objective of the training was to make the trainees self reliant in the field of energy conservation.
Sharma, who was also the technical co-ordinator for this programme said that the effort was aimed at developing scientific temperament along with the facilitation of technology transfer for betterment of rural India. The course includes electronic literacy, practical bamboo carving and designing along with treatment and making of bamboo carved lamps, lED bulbs and tube light. He explained that lED bulbs save power, have longer operational life span, are available in multiple colours and spread no pollution.