October
19,
2005
newscast
Lighting the way for earthquake relief
Torrance, CA | 19 October 2005 -- Since the
7.6-magnitude earthquake struck northwest Pakistan on October 8, thousands
of people live in utter darkness once the sun goes down. Now, light is on
the way. Responding with urgency to the call for help, Pakistani-American
Pervaiz Lodhie, owner of solid-state lighting manufacturer LEDtronics
Inc., express shipped 2000 of his company's LED flashlights to
Pakistan.
Horrified by scenes of devastation in his homeland,
Lodhie took action. First, contributing to Pakistani President Musharraf's
Quake Relief Fund, and then investigating what material assistance he
could provide. Learning of the critical need for sustainable portable
lighting, Lodhie knew it was a task that he was uniquely positioned to
fulfill. "It is ideal that LEDtronics specializes in
energy-efficient, solid-state lighting. The flashlights were sitting in
the stockroom ready to go," says Lodhie.
LED flashlights are perfect for use in the arduous
conditions existing in post-quake Pakistan. Their ruggedly constructed
exteriors and internal components are nearly indestructible. They operate
for up to six continuous days on a set of batteries unlike traditional
flashlights, an important consideration due to the sporadic access to
supplies. Additionally, LED flashlights eliminate the threats of burns,
flames, fumes, spills and explosions of kerosene-fueled lamps.
The enormity of the disaster is unimaginable. More than
54,000 thousand people are dead, 3.3 million are homeless, and the area's
infrastructure is decimated. Recovery will take decades. As Lodhie
prepares another shipment of long-operating LED lighting products
(solar-powered LED lanterns, LED candles and LED-illuminated safety vests)
for the earthquake victims and rescuers, he is talking with competitors
within his industry about contributing aid. Lodhie believes the scale of
the tragedy transcends businesses, religions, ethnicities and politics.
Lodhie adds, "It's the time for us to rise above our differences and
help in this human tragedy."
Lodhie offers to facilitate any donations to the relief
effort. He works with Indus Earth Trust, an NGO dedicated to alleviating
poverty in Pakistan and is an organization with which Lodhie has
collaborated with on many other projects, to handle the distribution of
goods in Pakistan. Donations to the President Musharraf's Quake Relief
Fund can be made to the Pakistan Embassy and Consulates.
Link to article: OE
Magazine
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