Solar Lamps for Refugees
August 19th is World Humanitarian Day.
We would like to take this opportunity to celebrate together and highlight two things which are very important to us.
First, we want to thank all our humanitarian partners, who give so much in order to offer urgent care and assistance to people around the world.
Your cooperation with us has been an honour and we thank you for ensuring that our Little Sun lights reach the people who most urgently need them.
We would also like to use this opportunity to look back on all our humanitarian and impact-oriented activities. Little Sun has been involved in around 25 humanitarian and impact projects all around the world so far. We’d like to share just a few examples with you today:
When Nepal was hit by heavy earthquakes in 2015 and most of the electrical grid was destroyed, Little Sun lights were distributed as emergency relief. The funds for the lights were raised through a crowdfunding campaign run by the US-non-profit mgraystudio on Indiegogo.
In the beginning of 2016, Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in South Sudan received health kits which included a Little Sun light. Jeoung Hong from Oxfam GB, our cooperation partner in this project, reported that Little Sun solar lamps “improved the safety and security of our target populations”. The women themselves reported similar experiences: “The most important item I have received in this distribution is the solar light because I have a small child who needs to be taken care of in the night (…) previously I would light the fire then change her bedding but with this solar light I will just press the button and do it easily.” (Talia)
Also in 2016, refugees on the Greek islands of Lesbos and Idomeni, received 1,700 Little Suns, which were distributed by Ai Wei Wei, the world-renowed Chinese artist. We were extremely happy to receive the news recently from an aid worker from the organization Asylum Links Europe that the lights are still being put to good use. (You can also see for yourself in the picture above this blog post of the Little Sun on the white tent!)
We will share more news on our next relief programs very soon.
Maybe you feel inspired now and want to take some positive action yourself? If you are a humanitarian aid worker and you want to join our efforts in bringing sustainable light to those who need it most, please contact: Mason (mason@littlesun.com) or give us a call on +49 30200039141 and talk to our Humanitarian team.
