KARACHI: The provision of electricity, through an LED-lightening project, to villages where the facility was hitherto not available, has increased working hours, and thus helped people generate more income. The project has also enabled them to save Rs1,500 per month, which they would otherwise have spent on kerosene oil.

This was stated on Monday by Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Foundation Director (and custodian of Sewhan Sharif), Dr Syed Mehdi Raza, during a press conference at the Dow Medical College (DMC) Professional Development Centre.

Under “Pehli Kiran” (first ray of light), a philanthropic programme, the villages were provided with solar energy-generation systems. The project is jointly supported by the government’s National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) and LEDtronics Inc., USA, according to Ayaz Mahmood of Shaan Technologies.

Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof. Masood Hameed Khan said that DUHS had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with “Pehli Kiran” to set up medical camps in the LED-lit areas and also help market the handicraft of residents of the area.

Prof. Khan called for the need to support various social-sector programmes and projects for the improvement and enhancement of education and literacy and primary healthcare; poverty alleviation; development of working skills; and the improvement of social service delivery.