Lives for Refugees campaign raises €10.8 million IKEA’s Brighter

10 Apr 2015

Lives for Refugees campaign by the IKEA Foundation in the global retailer’s stores raised this year €10.8 million that will improve the lives of refugees by providing educational opportunities and distributing renewable energy devices such as solar lights. Under its “Brighter Lives for Refugees” campaign, the IKEA Foundation during February and March donated €1 to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for every LED light bulb purchased by an IKEA customer. The funds will help improve the lives of 380,000 refugees in Bangladesh, Chad, Ethiopia and Jordan. The campaign, which began in 2014, raised €7.7 million last year. Already thousands of refugees have benefited. In Jordan, some 11,000 Syrian refugees living in Azraq camp can move around safely after 500 solar streetlights and LED streetlights were installed. In refugee camps around Dollo Ado in Ethiopia, 40,000 solar lanterns – one per refugee family — and 240 streetlights are being delivered. In Chad, over 13,000 refugee children have been enrolled in primary school. A lack of light in refugee camps after sunset can have a devastating effect on safety and security. The campaign focuses on providing renewable energy solutions like solar-powered streetlights, solar-powered lanterns and fuel-efficient cooking stoves that make camps safer and more comfortable. The IKEA Foundation has partnered with UNHCR since 2010, helping to provide shelter, care and education in refugee camps and surrounding communities. The Foundation has to date committed more than €125 million in support to UNHCR.