Project Elpis provides free solar electricity energy to refugees in Greece to charge their mobile phones and be online.
Despite the increased capabilities provided by one smartphone The issue of battery life is always a tough challenge. While older phones often lasted a whole week on standby, smartphones can usually run for a day on a single charge, due to the large screens and cellular connections.
The refugees in Greece, in addition to all the other difficulties they have to face, also have the problem of charging their devices, which help them to learn the news and decisions of the government but also to be networked with their relatives. Opportunities to charge devices are severely limited in overcrowded camps.
Questions also cause information that some cafes have begun to charge fees for the privilege of charging a device. Still other refugees in their despair violate the lighting of the road lighting, risking electric shock and losing their lives.
Edinburgh University students, Alexander Angelopoulos and Samuel Kellerhals, in an attempt to solve the problem, began Project Elpis (Hopefully) providing free solar electricity. With the help of various companies they have already built and installed two solar charging stations. Each unit provides 12 plugs that provide electricity using only the sun. The device is capable of serving up to 240 people per unit every day.
The two students hope to raise enough money through Indiegogo to build additional units. To date, 3.675 has been sourced for 4.000, which is required for four other charging stations.
They named this project Hope as they hope it will ensure that the line communication between those displaced by war and poverty with their relatives around the world.
