Signify Foundation

It's International Women's Day! A day to celebrate women's achievements and raise awareness of the far-reaching impact of gender inequality on women and girls worldwide. But the future of girls is at risk. Conflict, natural disasters, and poverty are pushing them further into vulnerability. What a time to be a girl...    The fight for their future has never been more urgent. Together with Plan International Nederland, we support today's girls so that they can become the strong women of tomorrow. So, join us and let's make a difference together. #IWD2025 #InternationalWomensDay #whatatimetobeagirl

Last week, Signify published their 2024 Annual Report, showcasing the extraordinary potential of light to create brighter lives and a better world. We are proud to see one of our projects featured, highlighting how energy-efficient LED lighting is transforming education for 86,000 students in Kenya. With better-lit classrooms, students can achieve improved educational outcomes, while schools benefit from energy cost savings that can be reinvested into education. 📖 Read more on page 24 of the report: https://lnkd.in/d6b5FPQh

Following the devastating 2023 earthquakes, the villages of Douar Aguerd and Douar Agansou in Morocco were left in darkness. With damaged poles and cables cutting off electricity and no street lighting along the 2km road between them, life came to a standstill after sundown. Movement between villages—even for emergencies or to fetch water from the well—became nearly impossible. With our partner LIONS Club Unité ENCG Settat, we have provided solar lighting to support rebuilding and recovery of the remote villages, illuminating streets, communal areas, and sports fields so that daily life can continue safely after dark. More than 300 families now have access to light, restoring mobility, security, and a sense of normalcy. LIONS Club Unité ENCG Settat also played a crucial role in providing immediate relief following the earthquake—distributing food baskets, blankets, coats, and winter essentials, as well as offering medical support in the earthquake’s aftermath. As the first lights switched on, villagers watched their community illuminated for the first time in months. These moments serve as a powerful reminder of how light is more than just visibility—it can symbolise hope, resilience, and a new beginning. Anissa Abbou, Salma Jbilou El Joumri, Rajaa Jabri, LIONS Club Unité ENCG Settat

📣Session 3 Recap | From fragility to resilience: Community-driven solutions for lasting urban change This roundtable discussion explored how community-driven solutions can foster lasting urban resilience. Experts highlighted the importance of local engagement, gender inclusion, and rapid rebuilding to drive meaningful change in fragile settings. Key takeaways: 🏘 Community-Led Solutions – "Communities have the best solutions to their own challenges. We need to include them in the process and co-create solutions together." Makuta, Habitat for Humanity Zambia 👩💼 Empowering Women in Urban Planning – "Women often cope in silence. To truly and meaningfully involve them in urban planning, we must start with empowerment." Yue Cui, Signify Foundation ⏳ The Urgency of Rebuilding – "Speed matters: the sooner rebuilding begins, the sooner families can return home, the faster the recovery cycle unfolds." Olivia Nielsen, Miyamoto International The discussion reinforced the need for collaborative, locally driven solutions that empower communities to shape their own futures. #UrbanFragility #GlobalStability

For Communities, By Communities The recent suspension of U.S. foreign aid has left critical development projects on hold. Our Brighter Health initiatives are affected as some of our partners rely on international funding —solar lights in Tanzania sit at the border, while in Egypt, solar lights remain unused as partners pause operations. It’s disheartening to see global commitments undone so easily. But amidst this, we’re reminded of the power of locally led solutions. Our partner, Bright Dada, a small Community Based Organization in Kisumu, Kenya, continues to enable energy and lighting solutions for health facilities —creating jobs, engaging communities, and ensuring local ownership. Their resilience is a powerful reminder: community-driven initiatives will thrive, regardless of shifting aid policies. This crisis reinforces what we’ve long believed: development must be rooted in the communities it serves. Funding alone isn’t enough—true impact comes from local leadership, sustainability, and ownership. #BrighterCommunities #LocallyLed #SustainableDevelopment

As we step in 2025, our mission remains unwavering: contributing to sustainable development through high-quality lighting solutions, including in humanitarian settings. While significant progress has been made, the need for our work is as pressing as ever.   Lighting - something many of us take for granted - is a powerful tool that can transform lives. It creates safer environments, enhances the quality of education, keeps health facilities running, and allows communities to engage in recreation and sports after sundown. It's a simply yet highly effective intervention that empowers people to improve their livelihoods and take control of their futures.   This year, we will continue our focused efforts to close the 685 million-person gap of those without access to electricity and reliable lighting. We are also excited to pilot projects designed to create job opportunities and income-generating activities for youth to build a brighter, more sustainable future.   Here's to another year of progress, partnership, and empowerment! #Brightercommunities

Happy Holidays from the Signify Foundation team!🎄 As we wrap up another year, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have supported us and been part of our journey in 2024. Your partnership and commitment have helped us bring light and hope to so many communities. We look forward to continuing our mission and creating brighter, more sustainable communities in the year ahead. Here's to a joyful holiday season and an even brighter 2025! We wish you all joy and renewed inspiration to welcome the New Year! #BrighterCommunities #HappyHolidays

Signify Amsterdam Gift Donation Drive 🌲🎁 Last Thursday, the Signify office in Amsterdam was filled with warmth, joy, and holiday spirit as we gathered for our annual Christmas breakfast. It was a beautiful moment of togetherness, where we also took a moment to reflect on the importance of giving back. Under our tree, several bags of toys were collected thanks to the generosity of our colleagues. These toys were donated to three shelters in Amsterdam, ensuring that children in need would experience the joy of the season. We also collected a big box of second-hand toys, giving them a second life, and donated gift cards to help adults in the shelters to purchase essential items for themselves or their children. In the evening, our team brought the donations to a distribution point in the heart of Amsterdam, where they will be shared with those who need them most. Thank you to our colleagues for the generous donations and for helping us brighten the holiday season for those in need 💡🎄

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