Signify Foundation

Signify Foundation is supported each year by Signify colleagues who generously devote their time and expertise on a voluntary basis to contribute to the Foundation's mission. Please join us in expression gratitude and giving recognition to 12 Signify employees who have made exceptional contributions to the Foundation this year, making it possible for our small operating team with a large global mission to extend its impact. Their support is helping us reach new heights and dream bigger in our ambition, thank you - Wieneke Bastet, Laura Taylor, Saskia van der Wolf, Ramon Janssen, yves herremans, Gala de Diego Martín, Carmen Camina, Seza Ceren Atalay, Nikodem Maciejewski, Paul van den Brink, Saloua EL JAOUHARI and Séverin de Pommery !   These Ambassadors represent a few of many colleagues working behind the scenes to lend a hand to the Foundation, embodying the spirit of togetherness and generosity. Thank you to our ambassadors for going above and beyond, and to all who have supported us in one way or another this year.

In 31 countries, more than half of all primary schools operate without electricity, creating significant barriers to quality education. Poor lighting and infrastructure hinder learning, contribute to high dropout rates, and limit opportunities for children to thrive.   Light is a powerful enabler of education—it allows lessons to be held early in the morning or at night, ensures safer conditions around schools, improves concentration, and reduces truancy. Solar off-grid solutions are increasingly closing this gap, with solar panel costs dropping by 88% between 2010 and 2021. These innovations provide sustainable, long-term solutions compared to traditional options like kerosene lamps.   Aside from the energy efficient LED lights we retrofit in on-grid classrooms, we deploy standalone solar lighting solutions in off-grid areas. These solar-powered products make outdoor spaces safer, enable sport and play, and, with portable solar lanterns, give children the ability to study and do homework at night. In this way we have witnessed the power of solar lighting solutions in empowering education, but the work is far from finished - our vision is a world where everyone benefits from the power of quality lighting. Are you with us? #Brighterlearning

Learning without light? In many places, a reality for over half of all primary schools. We have previously shared that 1 in 4 children worldwide attend schools without electricity. This week, let's dive further into the picture - Do you know in how many countries more than half of all primary schools are without electricity? 👉 Stay tuned to find out the answer, and how off-grid solar solutions could help bridge the energy (and lighting!) gap in schools 💡

Light enables learning through play. Within our Brighter communities program, our Brighter learning projects go beyond just lighting up classrooms. Illuminated playgrounds and sports fields provide children and adolescents with opportunities to play and connect safely after dark, contributing to a well-rounded education that prioritises health, social interaction, creativity, and imagination. Through our partnership with Fundación River Plate (FRP), solar outdoor lights now brighten the football fields at Club Unión Ferroviaria de Villars, Argentina. FRP's programs support vulnerable children and adolescents, encouraging personal growth and social inclusion through sports. Three communities are already enjoying these lights, and in the coming years, we are excited to light fields that will benefit 20 more! #Brightercommunities #Brighterlearning

As part of the Life Science and Health Combination track program by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kenya, Netherlands Enterprise Agency and Task Force Health Care (TFHC), we recently joined a trade mission in Kisumu.   We toured a healthcare facility that we illuminated in 2020, serving approximately 20,000 people from surrounding communities, to deepen our understanding of challenges and opportunities in Kenyan rural health facilities. Typically, these facilities face high energy costs, consuming a significant portion of their budgets on electricity. Through our projects, we aim to reduce these costs in collaboration with our partners. By retrofitting the facilities with energy-efficient LED lighting, and solar-powered floodlights, safety and security is heightened around the facilities, and energy costs can be reduced, so more budget can be spent on healthcare.   In this facility, critical areas were lit up and we are excited that phase 2 of this project is on the horizon. We will be lighting entire facilities to ensure brighter health, with insights and lessons learned from the first phase. Stay tuned! #Brighterhealth #Brightercommunities

"The cost of inaction is extremely high. The "left behind" today will be left even further behind tomorrow as the world continues to make strides in digital literacy and connectivity, intensifying the need for electricity" - Off-grid Solar Market Trends Report, 2024. While regions such as Asia have made significant strides in meeting the objective of universal access to energy by 2030, others have fallen behind. Advances have been made in urban areas, and stable regions, leaving other areas at risk of being left behind. With five years to go, access to off-grid solar (OGS) energy solutions, including solar lighting, represent a targeted intervention for such regions. Unlocking the potential of OGS as a bridge for universal access requires private-public cooperation and unity - companies, investors, governments and development partners all have a role to play. Electricity access is key in enabling quality education, health, and living. It is crucial for the operation of critical social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. When electricity is not available, it disproportionately impacts women and girls who typically take on unpaid domestic tasks such as fuel collection. Some key insights from the Off-grid Solar Market Trends Report: 💡A study in Kenya found that electricity access can free up approx. 72 hours per month for women and girls to spend on education or leisure  💡OGS powered street lighting creates safer communities 💡In Africa and Asia, electrifying schools could help reduce the estimated USD 5 billion annual cost associated with illiteracy by increasing school enrollment and completion Read the full Off-grid Solar Market Trends report here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dX-zDJzB

"A suitable educational environment equipped with effective lighting is the foundation for building a conscious and educated generation" - Eng. Amal Mabadda, MEK Foundation Through a collaboration with Misr El Kheir Foundation MEK and Signify Egypt, we will deliver over 14,000 energy-efficient LEDs to over 720 schools across Egypt - lighting the educational environment of over 117,000 students. The project aims to improve educational and living conditions, promote environmental awareness, and boost energy efficiency as part of an ongoing program to improve safety and access to modern technology in schools. To ensure the projects' sustainability and success, technicians will also be trained to maintain the lights for long-term #Brighterlearning! #BrighterCommunities

Looking for a motivated intern to join our Signify Foundation team in Amsterdam! As an independent not-for-profit organization, we empower underserved communities by enabling access to sustainable, quality lighting - Will you be a part of our mission? Our new team member will be supporting ongoing and new projects and programs, collaborating with a passionate team and partners dedicated to lighting lives around the world. If you are a registered student and a team player eager to make an impact through access to energy and light, we'd love to hear from you! Check out the vacancy link to apply 👉 https://lnkd.in/eiFrDNiP

Health facilities serving off-grid communities in Uganda typically place indoor lights powered by small solar PV systems in critical care sections. Often, these facilities lack adequate outdoor lighting for the safety and security of both personnel and patients. Facilities powered by small solar PV systems rely on light bulbs with low wattage to preserve energy and prioritise medical equipment, leaving pockets of darkness in their compounds. Switching conventional light bulbs to LED, affords healthcare centers energy and cost savings while giving better quality lighting for critical procedures, comfortable rest and recovery. The addition of stand-alone solar outdoor lights reduces strain on the small solar PV systems, allowing energy to be allocated to more healthcare equipment. A standard level-4 healthcare facility that would save approximately 2400 kWh of energy by switching to LEDs and stand-alone solar outdoor lights could power 8.35 vaccine refrigerators and 1.3 ICU beds for a whole year while reducing energy-related costs by 40%. Next week, we'll share a practical example of this within one of our projects - Stay tuned! #Brighterhealth #Brightercommunities

Gender-responsive humanitarian efforts are critical to ensuring the safety and security of women and girls in crisis settings.   In the refugee settlements of Aleppo, Hama, and Lattakia - regions deeply affected by the 2023 earthquake - communities face severe protection challenges. The absence of adequate lighting and long unsafe passages to essential facilities, heighten risks of harassment and fear during every day tasks such as accessing water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.   Through the recently completed third phase in a partnership between United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Signify Foundation, flood lights now illuminate shelters, public spaces, and key community corridors around UNFPA-supported facilities. The lights create safer environments, restoring dignity to those most vulnerable, and enabling safe and free movement at night even during frequent power outages.   "We desperately require a tool like this for illumination at night. When we go out at night, we encounter numerous obstacles. Those solar lights will allow me, my children and my injured husband to walk at night with increased safety and security", Om Omar told UNFPA Syria from Hama