Founded in 1996 under the umbrella of the Grameen Bank, NGO Grameen Shakti (GS) focuses on the development, marketing, and delivery of renewable energy resources for poverty alleviation and income generation in the rural villages of Bangladesh. In a region where some 70% of the population is deprived of conventional electricty, access to electric lighting permits the extension of business and trade, children's education, and household activities into the evening hours.