Thousands of refugees fleeing Syria have been welcomed in Jordanian camps, but they’ve left behind more than their homes and businesses – they have also left behind electricity.
IKEA is illuminating that problem one lamp at a time.
For every LED product that is bought by a customer in one of their giant furniture stores, one euro is raised for IKEA’s ongoing program to make refugee camps brighter and more sustainable.
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Since IKEA partnered with the UN Refugee Agency for their Brighter Lives For Refugees campaign in 2010, 18.5 million euro has been raised to build sustainable solutions in the camps and erect 500 solar LED street lights brightening the Azraq refugee settlement in Jordan. (See the new streets in the video below.)
Without the luxury of lamps to light their way at night, families are forced to give up hours of meaningful activities, like reading and studying, especially when it gets dark sooner in winter.
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Out of the 15 million Syrians living in the camps, half of the refugees are children who – with a little light – will be able to study and play safely at night, thanks to the campaign
One of the planned proposals to go into construction is a solar farm that will store electricity ready to be distributed throughout the National Grid to families living elsewhere in Jordan, thus creating jobs for the asylum-seekers.
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“Thousands of refugees are now able to move around safely at night thanks to all of you who helped the campaign,” says UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Khaled Hosseini.
If you need any LED supplies–bulbs or lamps–visit an IKEA store through until December 19, to help brighten the lives of refugees.
Photo by Rusty Stewart, CC