His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, Humanitarian Envoy of the Big Heart Foundation, and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Big Heart Foundation, honoured Light Aid Impact Foundation, the winner of the eighth edition of the Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support, during a ceremony held today at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park in Sharjah.
The ceremony began with the national anthem, after which Mariam Al Hammadi, Director General of the Big Heart Foundation, delivered a speech in which she stressed the importance of the role of humanitarian work in facing the challenges facing the world today.
She said that humanity all over the world is facing major challenges that it has never known before, and that we have not witnessed anything like them in contemporary history. What distinguishes this stage from others is that its humanitarian theme has, for the first time, overshadowed all other themes, which has put all of humanity in real tests that are reshaping the life we live, the nature of the values and concepts we believe in, the form of relations between peoples and nations, and the formula for the future to which we all aspire.
She added that in this phase, creative and unconventional humanitarian work becomes a form of victory for victims and the oppressed, a collective declaration of adherence to common human bonds and values, and an affirmation that goodness remains no matter how dark the phase is, and that the light of dawn is inevitably coming, carried by white hands that believe in the ability of goodness to defeat evil and in the ability of giving to defeat attempts to deprive man of his rights and dignity.
She added that since the launch of the Sharjah Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support, it has had many goals, known to those who follow its project and message, the most prominent of which is supporting the initiatives of institutions working with refugees and aiming to improve their reality. However, in reality, there has always been a bigger dream, a more comprehensive dream that we work for and hope will come true one day. This dream is that the award will one day be discontinued and there will be no need for it anymore. Yes, we hope that the award will be cancelled, as our hope is to wake up to a world without refugees and displaced persons. Our hope is that the wars in Palestine, Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen and all other countries of the world will stop. What the region is going through today, especially our people in Gaza, as much as it places us before a difficult and harsh reality, it also gives us confidence that the power of hope will generate dozens of initiatives and gather hundreds and thousands of hands to overcome this ordeal.
For his part, Mr. Andrew Harper, UNHCR Special Advisor on Climate Action, praised in a speech the significant role played by the Emirate of Sharjah in supporting refugees and enhancing international cooperation to improve their lives.
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the prominent advocate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, for her role in leading humanitarian efforts to protect and empower refugees regionally and globally. Her Highness’s contributions through The Big Heart Foundation have reached more than one million people around the world, who have received humanitarian aid and support in the fields of education, healthcare and women’s empowerment, at a time when the world is facing unprecedented challenges, with the number of refugees and displaced persons reaching more than 122 million people, most of whom are suffering from the repercussions of climate change, as three-quarters of those forcibly displaced live in countries suffering from the risks resulting from climate change, and after fleeing war and conflict zones, they find themselves facing drought, floods and extreme heat,” he said.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and the attendees watched a visual presentation on the most prominent achievements of the Light Aid Impact Foundation, founded by the young Nigerian Stanley Anegbojo. In just two years, the Foundation has been able to provide solar power stations to more than 50,000 families in refugee camps and rural areas suffering from a lack of basic services across the African continent, and has provided its members with the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain them. It has also created educational programmes on methods and techniques for recycling consumer materials and converting them into alternative energy sources.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi honored the winner of the eighth cycle of the award, Light Aid Impact Foundation. Stanley Anegbogu, the founder of the foundation, expressed his gratitude in his speech after the honoring, saying, “I grew up in Onitsha, Nigeria, where I was fully aware of the reality of energy poverty. The dim light of a kerosene lamp or a candle was all I had to study, a small glimmer of hope in a world full of challenges. In those moments, as I struggled to study under insufficient light, I realized the profound interconnectedness between access to energy, education, health and opportunity. I realized that light is not just a physical need, but a symbol of opportunity, a beacon of hope, and a catalyst for change.”
“At Light Aid Impact, we believe that creativity is the key to unlocking solutions that have a sustainable impact. We have embraced the power of simplicity in our designs, and the power of community in our projects. Our work is driven by the belief that when we light a home, we light a future. When we empower a child with knowledge, we empower an entire generation. And here we are today, I feel deeply moved by the journey that has brought us to this point. The road has not been easy, but it has been filled with moments of profound joy; like seeing a child’s face light up for the first time with clean energy, or seeing a mother’s comfort as she charges her phone to stay connected to her loved ones, or witnessing communities come together to build a brighter future. Today, I stand before you not only to share my story, but to remind you of the power we all have to inspire, to create, and to lead.”
By winning the award, Light Aid Impact received a reward of AED 500,000, with a special contribution from the Big Heart Foundation, in recognition of its exceptional initiatives and projects that have effectively contributed to improving the lives of refugees and displaced people in Nigeria and Africa by providing sustainable energy solutions in refugee communities and overcoming many of the challenges they face, most notably the difficulty of disposing of 1.1 million tons of electronic waste annually, and the failure to recycle approximately 88% of the total waste, which Stanley addressed by using the circular economy model that is done by reusing electronic and plastic waste to manufacture portable solar lamps and electric charging stations. The ceremony also witnessed a discussion session in which the founder of Light Aid Impact and a number of beneficiaries who have become part of the foundation’s team participated, where inspiring stories were exchanged about the importance of the foundation and its great impact on the lives of individuals and communities.
The Big Heart Foundation announced the opening of nominations for the ninth cycle of the award for the year 2025, starting today, September 18, until December 8. Nominations will be received through the Foundation’s website https://tbhf.ae/sharjah-international-award/, where the Foundation opens the way for organizations, institutions and individuals to nominate any local humanitarian organization or institution working to support and advocate for refugees in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
At the end of the concert, the Al Multaqa Orchestra, which includes a group of young musicians, many of whom were displaced by the conflict in Sudan, presented a musical performance that blended African and Afro-Arab musical traditions, and embodied a powerful message of hope and resilience in the face of challenges.
The ceremony was attended by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Statistics and Community Development, Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director General of FUNN Foundation, Dr. Mansour bin Nassar, Chairman of the Legal Department of the Government of Sharjah, Khalid Jassim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, Dr. Abdulaziz Saeed Al Muhairi, Chairman of the Sharjah Health Authority, Major General Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, Noura Ahmed Al Noman, Chairperson of the Executive Office of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Abdullah Khalifa Al Subousi, Chairman of the Department of Islamic Affairs, Issa Hilal Al Hazami, Chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council, and a number of senior officials, directors of government departments and bodies, and representatives of humanitarian organizations.
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