Same Spark, Different Struggles.

Supplement or Survival: How One Light Means So Much

For Some, a Help — For Others, Hope

If you joined our International Day of Light celebration where we discussed the longitudinal research we’ve
been conducting in Honduras for the last three years, you heard two answers to this question: ​​

Q: Are Luke Lights being used the same
​in rural and urban areas of Honduras?

A: Yes…and no. It’s complicated.
But that’s what makes it so powerful.

​Over several years, we tracked the durability and usage of 200 Luke Lights across two different communities: Villanueva Cortés​, a remote rural region, and Rivera Hernández, a high-risk urban area. Alongside the lights, we followed the human stories. Six core value themes emerged consistently across both regions: savings, safety, home care, livelihood, education, and community. What’s remarkable is how universal these themes were, regardless of geography and whether the lights were illuminating thatched homes or tin and cinder block homes, muddy mountainous roads or dark urban streets.

RURAL – Villanueva Cortés

A remote, mountainous region where families rely on farming and livestock. When night falls, there’s no light—just darkness, silence, or the risk of walking blind to tend crops or check on loved ones.

URBAN – Rivera Hernández

An “urban” area in name only—near the city dump, with tin-roof homes, dirt floors, and frequent blackouts. Once known as the most dangerous neighborhood in the world, it still lives in the shadows.

In both settings, the Luke Light provides essential monetary savings for basic necessities and additional schooling. With 8 hours of light, caretakers can more easily, and safely, care for children, cook dinner at a reasonable hour, and complete household chores by the end of the day—a source of pride whether you have dirt floors or concrete floors – which many did not experience before having our light. Reading and studying after dark is now a reality for children and adults alike, in both regions, sparking hope for a brighter future or simply more enjoyment and leisure in their day. For many, the Luke Light has become a trusted companion, enabling them to live, work, and walk outside after sunset, without stepping on an animal, falling off a cliff, starting a fire, or inhaling toxic fumes from candles, kerosene lamps, or ocote (wood burned in mostly rural areas for light). Whether neighbors live steps away or across a field, the Luke Light offers something simple yet powerful: connection. Where darkness once kept people isolated inside their homes, the light now draws them out—to chat with neighbors, attend church, and gather with their communities.

But here’s where usage in the rural and urban stories diverge.

While the core needs—light for safety, work, caregiving, and connection—are shared across both regions, the ways Luke Lights are used are shaped by environment, livelihood, and urgency.
In Villanueva Cortes, many families rely on livestock and agriculture for their livelihood. There is no power grid, no infrastructure— just darkness after sunset. Without light, they are left to navigate muddy, uneven terrain blindly, hoping their crops and animals survive pests and predators at night. The only alternatives—candles, gas lamps, or ocote (a smoky, resin-heavy wood)—are dangerous, dim, and costly.The Luke Light becomes their lifeline for “TODO!” (everything!) —without it, the day ends with the sun.
In Rivera Hernández, the challenges are different—but just as dire. Many work as tradespeople, often commuting home in the dark or striving to continue their craft long after the sun has set. Others (children and adults alike) travel, daily, to the local dump, sifting through mounds and mounds of trash to collect items to sell. Here, while there may be some access to electricity, rolling power outages are common, leaving families dependent on Luke Lights when the grid fails.  For them, the Luke Light means they can travel safely, work longer, and study without draining the only charged phone in the house. The light is a backup—but also a bridge to connection, dignity, safety, and control in a place where so little feels secure.

Why do we care about the differences? 

These differences directly shape how we design the Luke Light—ensuring it remains something people can truly depend on, year after year. It’s built to meet the diverse needs of users around the world, no matter where they live or how they make a living.
The Luke Light is multi-functional—easily transforming from a study lamp to a room light, bike light, flashlight, or hands-free light worn around the neck. And it’s built to last: water- and mud-resistant, tough enough for muddy fields, dusty streets, rainy nights, and the daily wear and tear of real life—whether in the hands of curious children or hardworking adults.

One of the biggest improvements in the new model is the reinforced connection between the neck and body—previously a weak point. Thanks to ongoing research in Honduras, we’ve seen firsthand how well the new design is holding up in both rural and urban environments. Whether it’s lighting a rural kitchen, guiding someone through the dump, or providing safe, hands-free light for caregivers and farmers, the Luke Light adapts—meeting each person where they are, in the ways they need it most."

We aren’t done.

Our mission is ongoing. We will continue to track the usage and durability of these lights, not only in Honduras, but in underserved communities all over the world. Every story. Every datapoint. Every light. Brings us closer to a brighter, more connected future.
Our ask of you is that you stay engaged. In upcoming blogs we’ll introduce you to some of the humans behind these 200 lamps who shared how their lives have been transformed through six powerful themes: savings, safety, home care, livelihood, education, and community.
If you missed the International Day of Light celebration, watch the full presentation HERE.

Consider donating one light, or more. Together, we can send 1,000 more lights — change 1,000 more lives.

We told you how solar lights are changing lives in Honduras. Each light you fund becomes a lifeline—a source of safety, opportunity, and dignity for a family living without electricity.

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Share this mission. Be the light in someone’s darkness.
The future is brighter, together.