Social enterprise MyShelter Foundation’s Liter of Light won the seventh edition of the Zayed Future Energy Prize today in the Non-Profit Organization (NPO/NGO) category.
(back row, from left): US Vice President Al Gore; HE Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of Egypt; HH Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai;
HH General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy
Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; and HE Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State
Chairman of Masdar and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Ports Company.
Winners are (front row, front left): Yoshihiko Yamada of Panasonic, Jesse Moore M-KOPA Solar,
a representative from Munro Academy in Canada, student representatives from Waterford Kamhlaba
United World College of Southern Africa in Swaziland, a representative from Petru Rares National College
in Romania, Diaz, a representative from Melbourne Girls' High School in Australia, and
Ibrahim Nadheem from Addu High School in the Maldives.
The world’s biggest award for renewable energy and sustainability honored the organization for an innovative lighting solution that addresses the combined challenge of climate change, energy security, and the environment. The Liter of Light empowers communities by training locals how to manufacture and install solar lights, creating hundreds of job opportunities for sectors not commonly involved with energy, such as rural women’s cooperatives, youth groups, and refugee camps.
president Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of
Dubai (left) and HE Abdel Fattah El-Sisi president
of Egypt (middle) present the Zayed Future Energy
Prize Non-Profit Organisation award to Illac Diaz,
executive director of Liter of Light (right) during the
opening ceremony of the World Future Energy Summit.
“Ours is a story about the power of harnessing open source technologies and sharing them with young people around the world who are keen to solve energy poverty in their own communities,” said Illac Diaz, Founder and Executive Director of the Liter of Light. “Sometimes the solutions that work best come from developing countries, from the bottom up, since they have to manage the greatest impact with the least resources.”
The Zayed Future Energy Prize, established by the United Arab Emirates government in 2008, recognizes organizations, schools, and individuals across the world that have made significant contributions to the future of renewable energy and sustainability.
The winners were selected after a three-month evaluation process that began with an assessment of 1,100 applicants based on their impact, innovation, leadership, and vision. The Zayed Future Energy Prize Jury includes heads of state, leading energy experts and world-renowned personalities committed to the global effort of accelerating the adoption of renewable energies and sustainable development.