Dr. Godakumbura a Sri Lankan dermatologist came into contact with patients who had paraffin burns almost daily. It turned out that most accidents were caused by the use of an unsuitable, homemade paraffin lamp. The electricity network in Sri Lanka is not available nationwide. For this reason, and also for cost reasons, bottles or other glass containers are converted into lamps. It goes without saying that these primitive lamps tip over easily. The paraffin ignites an immediate fire which immediately spreads to the simple wooden houses.

In 1992 Dr. Godakumbura developed a low, thick-walled lamp with a screw cap. The lamp has the advantage that it practically cannot fall over and the paraffin cannot leak. For this simple invention he received the Rolex Award for Enterprises in 1998 and won the BBC World Challenge in 2009.

The Brighter Life Foundation distributes these Safe Bottle Lamps where it is most needed. To date, 10,000 of these Safe Bottle Lamps have been distributed to areas where flooding has occurred and to rural areas.