Some University of Minnesota students hope to bring light to Nicaraguans who live without electricity.
In parts of Nicaragua, the only source of light for many wooden homes is the flame from a pop bottle filled with diesel fuel.
At the "U," a new nonprofit group called Bright New Ideas hopes to change that.
The organization plans to provide 500 solar-powered lanterns for Nicaraguans by December.
The idea came about last January when electrical engineering senior Patrick Delaney traveled to Nicaragua in hopes of providing electricity through hydropower.
Delaney says kerosene used in rural Nicaragua endangers the families living in wooden homes and can cause fatal upper respiratory infections, especially in children.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
