Zayed Sustainability Prize launches ‘Guiding Light’ campaign to brighten off-grid communities in 5 countries … reports Asian Lite News.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE’s pioneering global award for recognising innovative sustainable solutions, has launched the “Guiding Light” campaign to bring solar lanterns to off-grid communities around the world.
Each milestone of the one-month campaign, which will run across five countries, will reveal a 20mx20m light installation comprised of 2,000 solar lanterns, arranged and lit up to reveal the Zayed Sustainability Prize logo. After each event, the lanterns will be donated to off-the-grid communities around the world.
Following, the first view of the “Guiding Light”, in Bahrain, the 2,000 solar lanterns will be shipped to Indonesia and distributed amongst communities that have been affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami.
The launch was held in partnership with Bahrain Bayan School, a 2018 Global High Schools, GHS, category winner, while Kopernik, a 2016 prize winner, will undertake the distribution in Indonesia, where these lamps will benefit more than 1,179 households and 5,112 people in the villages of Tempe, in Donggala, and Jono Oge, in Sigi.
Commenting on the campaign, Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Director of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, said, “The Guiding Light campaign reflects Sheikh Zayed’s humanitarian vision and the prize’s dedication to delivering tangible solutions to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. By partnering with our growing network of prize winners, who will help administer the solar lanterns – which will provide not only light to homes and medical clinics in rural areas, but the safety and greater opportunities that come with light – the campaign provides an opportunity to raise the profile of our prize winners, and further extend their impact.”
Following the launch, in Bahrain, the campaign will move to Bolivia, where the team will work closely with 2017 GHS winner, Unidad Educativa Sagrado Corazon 4. In Bangladesh, the collaboration is with the inaugural prize winner, Dipal Barua and, in Kenya, with 2013 prize winner, d.light. The campaign will conclude with an event in Abu Dhabi, on 9th January 2019.
Commenting on the launch, Jassim Al Shirawi, Member of the Board of Trustees at Bahrain Bayan School, said, “The Bahrain Bayan School is proud to represent the Kingdom of Bahrain in this prestigious campaign and to highlight the impact it will have on lives around the world. Importantly, the prize – and now this campaign – contributes significantly to raising awareness about sustainable concepts and technologies, youth empowerment, and instilling a mindset of contributing towards making a better world and future for all. The prize’s impact can be measured in terms of how it continues to direct the attention of governments, companies and individuals toward such noble objectives.”
Bahrain Bayan School, a K-12, non-profit, bilingual school, has already put their prize-winning fund to use and is nearing completion of its award-winning solution. Their education platform, entitled EcoLab 360, teaches students and the wider community about sustainable practices and technologies.
Following the evolution of the Zayed Sustainability Prize from the Zayed Future Energy Prize, it is now more closely aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UAE National Agenda 2021. Over the last decade, a total of 66 winners have received the prize and have, directly and indirectly, provided a positive impact on the lives of over 307 million people around the world.
Winners of the next prize will be announced at the awards ceremony, held during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, on 14th January 2019.
