Starting this month, every sale of a solar powered bedside lamp at IKEA will generate an additional lamp as a donation to a child in the developing world, enabling them to play, read, write or study at night, even without electricity.
The first shipments will be delivered by UNICEF to Pakistani refugees, helping children in camps for families who had to flee their homes in Balochistan and the North West Frontier province.
The IKEA lamp, called SUNNAN, was made especially sturdy for the developing world, designed to resist the wear and tear of difficult living situations and includes a battery capable of withstanding high temperatures. Just expose the solar panel to 9 hours of sun and get four hours of full light from the low-energy LED technology.
“Millions of children can’t draw, write or read after sunset, limiting their horizons and possibly their futures,” said Marianne Barner, head of the IKEA Social Initiative. “We hope our lamps are a small but important contribution to improving the lives of children in developing countries.”
“Especially girls are often required to help out with household chores after school, and their only chance of doing their homework may be at night,” she said. “SUNNAN can make a huge difference to them. If they can keep up with the homework, their school attendance will likely increase and their achievements improve.”
The SUNNAN lamp comes in five bright colours and is available in IKEA stores worldwide, or online at www.ikea.com.
IKEA does not have available from website the Solar light mentioned above in USA stores…too bad! It is a great idea.