Zayed prize to light up off-grid communities across the globe

The Guiding Light campaign reflects the ZSP’s dedication to delivering solutions to the world’s most vulnerable communities.” Dr Lamya Fawwaz, director, Zayed Sustainability Prize

abu dhabi — The Zayed Sustainability Prize (ZSP), the UAE’s pioneering global award for innovative solutions, has launched a new campaign that will bring solar lanterns to off-grid communities around the world.

Called ‘Guiding Light’, the month-long campaign would run across five countries starting with Bahrain, where a 20m-by20m installation of 2,000 solar lanterns was recently lit up, revealing the ZSP logo.

Similar light-up events will be held in the other countries — Bolivia, Bangladesh, Kenya and the UAE — and after each one, solar lanterns will be donated to various communities worldwide.

Following the launch of the campaign in Bahrain, 2,000 solar lanterns are set to be shipped to Indonesian communities that have been affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami.

The event was held in partnership with Bahrain Bayan School, a 2018 Global High Schools (GHS) category winner, while the distribution would be led by Kopernik, a 2016 ZSP winner. More than 1,179 Indonesian households and 5,112 people will be benefitting from the first leg of the campaign.

“The Guiding Light campaign reflects the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s humanitarian vision and the ZSP’s dedication to delivering tangible solutions to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities,” said Dr Lamya Fawwaz, director of the ZSP.

“By partnering with our growing network of Prize winners, who will help distribute the solar lanterns — which will provide not only light to homes and medical clinics in rural areas, but also the safety and opportunities that come with light — the campaign raises the profile of our winners and further extend their impact.”

From Bahrain, the campaign will be moving to Bolivia where the team will work closely with 2017 GHS winner Unidad Educativa Sagrado Corazon 4. In Bangladesh, it will be collaborating with the inaugural ZSP winner, Dipal Barua, and in Kenya, 2013 winner d.light will be taking charge. Guiding Light will conclude in Abu Dhabi on January 9, 2019.

The ZSP, formerly known as the Zayed Future Energy Prize, has been established as part of the strategies to achieve UAE National Agenda 2021 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 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. —