Lamps Light the Way Out of Poverty


Lola Tasya with her hand-crafted lamps

Anastacia Abella, known in her neighborhood as Lola (grandmother) Tasya, lives in a squatters' village in Manila, The Philippines. She and her four adult children inhabit a shelter built from scrap materials. Frequent blackouts in Lola Tasya's neighborhood make kerosene lamps a necessity. Before she received her first loan of US$133 from Opportunity International, Lola Tasya spent each morning searching through garbage dumps for jars that she made into lamps.

After scrubbing them in cold water, she painted the lids, added wicks, and attached metal handles. She would then sell the few that she could make to earn a very small profit. With her loan, Lola Tasya can afford to buy clean jars from the dump. Before her first loan, she and her family made 150 lamps each day. With clean jars, they make more than 300 lamps per day, which earns them US$30 in profit. The family sells each lamp for 10 to 25 cents, depending on the size.

At age 72, after a lifetime of hard work, Lola Tasya should be enjoying a peaceful retirement. But she knows she must work each day to eat-at least Opportunity International has made that work a little easier. Lola Tasya is proud of her handiwork and her ability to earn her own way-she knows she is a survivor.