While there are polo teams owned and watched by the wealthiest of wealthy, baseball and football for Americans, and golf for the business managers, soccer, commonly known as football, seems to be the sport of developing countries.

When it comes to activities, soccer seems to be the game to play in Mexico or South Africa. Who would have thought to use a commonly played sport of the impoverished developing countries to solve an important problem many developing countries have: the lack of electricity?

None other than Harvard students Jessica Matthews, Jessica Lin, Hemali Thakkar, and Julia Silverman who created the Soccket – a soccer ball that is charged during a soccer game, and can be used to power lights during the night.

The Soccket was conceived when the four students took a global challenge society faces today, and combined it with a fun and popular activity of the impoverished. The result is a, “Soccer Ball by Day, Light by Night,” according to Discovery News.

The way the Soccket works is similar to a ‘shake to charge’ flashlight. Inside the ball is a magnet that rolls through a secured coil as it is kicked. When the magnet rolls through the coil, a current is induced into the coil. In other words an electric current is created every time the magnet moves about the coil.

The electricity is then stored in an internal battery. When it comes time to use the electricity for lighting, an external outlet on the ball is used to power a plug in LED (light emitting diodes) light.

The result is that fifteen minutes of play induces enough electricity to power the ball’s LED light for three hours.

Although lighting is not the paramount concern the estimated 1.5 billion people – that’s one fifth of the world’s population – that lack electricity (according to the International Energy Agency), the importance of safe sources of light is great. Light sources used by those who lack electricity tend to be supplied by dangerous and unhealthy sources such as kerosene lamps and wood. The Soccket provides safe, reliable light.

After inventing the Soccket, Silverman and Matthews founded Uncharted Play Inc. Their company is based around the theory of harnessing fun in finding solutions to challenges facing society.

Silverman and Matthews intend to sell their trademark invention in a ‘buy one, give one’ fashion. Their goal is to begin distributing the Soccket in South Africa and Kenya.

Their invention has contributed to many prestigious awards, including the Scientist of the Year Award given to them from Harvard.

Other examples of inventions that have benefited impoverished communities include M.I.T.’s water bottle light – an inexpensive plastic bottle that is inserted in one’s roof that produces light.