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A Brighter Life for Refugees
Carmen Munteanu - Communications Coordinator
21 February 2014
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and IKEA company aim to improve refugees' lives in special camps, through their worldwide campaign "A Brighter Lives for Refugees". There are currently about 10.5 million refugees worldwide, half of them children. Part of them live in camps, where the lack of night time lighting may be an issue.
"Life in a refugee camp may be very complicated, particularly for children. The absence of a proper lighting system limits their daily activities (...), such as dinner in the family or doing their school homework. It also has a very strong impact upon safety and families' possibility to generate their own revenues. The campaign "A brighter life for refugees" aims to provide the necessary lighting infrastructure and renewable energy on the streets and in the houses of refugee camps (...)", said Per Heggenes, CEO IKEA Foundation.
From 3 February to 29 March 2014 for every LEDARE (LED light bulb) sold during the campaign, the IKEA Foundation will donate Є1 to the UNHCR. The donations will help to provide solar street lights, indoor solar lanterns, and other renewable energy technologies in UNHCR refugee camps in countries including Ethiopia, Chad, Bangladesh and Jordan. Part of the funds collected will be used to support children education.
"In 2013, over 2 million people became refugees, far from their homes. This was an alarming, nearly twenty-year record. With each new humanitarian emergency which threatens lives, the support of the private sector becomes more and more vital. The campaign "A brighter life for refugees” represents a new chapter in our relationship with the IKEA Foundation, UNHCR’s largest private sector partner. Together, we hope to be able to transform the lives of many refugees", said UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres.
Source: UNHCR
"Life in a refugee camp may be very complicated, particularly for children. The absence of a proper lighting system limits their daily activities (...), such as dinner in the family or doing their school homework. It also has a very strong impact upon safety and families' possibility to generate their own revenues. The campaign "A brighter life for refugees" aims to provide the necessary lighting infrastructure and renewable energy on the streets and in the houses of refugee camps (...)", said Per Heggenes, CEO IKEA Foundation.
From 3 February to 29 March 2014 for every LEDARE (LED light bulb) sold during the campaign, the IKEA Foundation will donate Є1 to the UNHCR. The donations will help to provide solar street lights, indoor solar lanterns, and other renewable energy technologies in UNHCR refugee camps in countries including Ethiopia, Chad, Bangladesh and Jordan. Part of the funds collected will be used to support children education.
"In 2013, over 2 million people became refugees, far from their homes. This was an alarming, nearly twenty-year record. With each new humanitarian emergency which threatens lives, the support of the private sector becomes more and more vital. The campaign "A brighter life for refugees” represents a new chapter in our relationship with the IKEA Foundation, UNHCR’s largest private sector partner. Together, we hope to be able to transform the lives of many refugees", said UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres.
Source: UNHCR
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