BilalMirza.com

I remember this day, time, location, surroundings and most importantly, the emotions of this young boy. He gave a glance of an extremely exhausted individual, yet with high determination and power. In his shabby outfit, he started starring at us while he was far-flung and barely noticeable to us, with question on his face concerning our presence in his poor village. The encounter with this kid carrying fuelwood (or firewood) over his head took place on the main street of village Salam Nagar of Lahore District, which is around 30 kilometres far from Lahore city. A relatively large community with nearly 700 households and around 4500-5000 inhabitants, it was an utter reflection of poverty, misery and pain, and what not!

Though households have the privileged to use electricity, but the main household predicament was inaccessibility to natural gas. This was the reason that, instead of exerting his efforts in his education, this young guy was looking after the energy problems of his dwelling.  When asked what his family shall do with these dried wooden sticks, ‘we use them for cooking’, was his quick and well expected reply.

The picture always grips my personal attention and incessant thoughts about the future of this innocent boy, and many others like him, who are enormously effected by such hardships. In my personal view, these hardships, and consequently, the under-development of rural people shall remain their fate, until and unless, there is no solution for widespread energy poverty across Pakistan, and other developing countries, which not only ensures the access to better energy services (if not modern ones) but also their sustainability.

Let me know what do you think about all this, and what possible ways could relief this kid and many others like him suffering from extreme energy poverty.