Lighting the Night for hurricane victims
Darin Khan and Lawrenceville Prep students gave the gift of light this holiday season.
The Light for the Night club raised funds to help Puerto Ricans recovering from the effects of Hurricane Maria.
Khan spearheaded a drive by club members to raise money that helped them purchase 200 solar flashlights or lanterns for distribution to families living without electricity.
Khan, a resident of Plainsboro, started a club called Light for the Night following a 2015 visit to India where he witnessed children living in areas without access to electricity.
“In 2015 during a visit to India, we passed through several villages where people lived in huts. Many of these people had only small fires to light up the night. Some even lit fires inside these homes which proved toxic to children,” Khan, a 16-year-old sophomore recalled.
“So, the initial effort was to provide solar lanterns to people in India and then it blossomed to Myanmar, Puerto Rico and Syrian refugee camps.”
The group purchases solar lanterns in those countries then connect with people who distribute the lights to individual families.
Khan attempted this effort on his own then realized he could produce a greater impact with other Lawrenceville Prep students engaged.
Khan called that trip to Indian a life changer as his young eyes glimpsed another part of the world.
Being an eyewitness presents a different reality than reading about human struggle.
“I saw all these people who were in need. I mean, some kids dropped out of school because they had no light to do their homework at night,” Khan explained.
“I realized that having no light has such an impact on social mobility. Finding out about this huge problem and the dangers it presents, kind of saddened me.”
Khan said some memories made his heart hurt.
“To see kids begging, some of them my age, it was difficult. In the United States we have so much,” Khan acknowledged.
Khan praised his club experience, calling the initiative a “learning experience” in working with others and helping people he will likely never meet.
The Lawrenceville Prep group have managed to light up the world with this act of philanthropy.
“I’ve always been interested in light ever since I was a little kid,” Khan revealed.
“I never knew that it would lead to this but it’s nice to help others. We have so much here that it can be taken for granted. We flip a switch and a light comes on. Turn a valve and water appears. It’s great to make a difference.”
On November 2, 2017 Middlesex County Sheriff Mildred S. Scott met with Darin and other club members to applaud their efforts, honoring them with Junior Sheriff badges.
Khan added this insight. “I’m truly honored that our efforts have been recognized by the community, but there is still a lot of work to be done.”