Heartland Alliance International (HAI) and Solight Design launch a New Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative 2024

Tomorrow, HAI, together with Solight Design, will announce a new Commitment to Action at  CGI, Ilumina Colombia, or “Light Up Colombia,” a three-phase pilot and research study which will evaluate the impact of collapsible solar lanterns on existing community-based humanitarian response efforts. Tune into the livestream here tomorrow from 11:00 am – 12:15 pm ET.

Context:

Juana in Mayorquín

2024 has been one of Colombia’s most violent years since the signing of the peace accord eight years ago, with a 36% increase in displacements compared to last year. Amid displacement and disaster, women and girls face harsh challenges, and inadequate lighting threatens their safety and wellbeing even further. Women like Juana Renteria Viveros, who rallied women-headed households to form a collective in an isolated rural community on Colombia’s Pacific Coast, are finding new ways to keep their communities safe and to secure their livelihoods.

Our Commitment:                                                                                    

Solight Solar Lanterns

Our Commitment to Action, Ilumina Colombia, or Light Up Colombia, will provide collapsible solar lanterns in rural communities like Juana’s, adding another vital tool to their toolkit for resilience. HAI envisions women deploying these lights, so their families and communities can work, cook, study, connect, and play safely.

What’s Next:

Light Up Colombia will document and share evidence-based findings and strategies to improve humanitarian response in Colombia and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Phase One – Initial Assessment: HAI will conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to understand the most impactful use of solar light amid five communities impacted by humanitarian emergencies.

Phase Two – Pilot and Monitoring: Based on the results, HAI will distribute solar lights and provide needs-based capacity strengthening to support communities to use lights to enhance:

• Community-Based Risk Prevention and Mitigation Plans. Lights may be used in vulnerable areas to deter armed groups from approaching, reduce the incidence of gender-based violence, improve evacuation measures, prevent community buildings (schools, community centers) from being used for illicit activities led by armed actors, among others.
• Safe Environments and Community Development. Lights may be used in parks, squares, playgrounds, and/or community spaces to foster a sense of social cohesion and security.
• Livelihoods Activities. Lights may be used to improve the recovery of livelihoods in the aftermath of humanitarian emergencies, including fishing, aquaculture, mollusk harvesting, weaving, among others.
• Local communities may find alternate and more impactful usages of the solar lanterns.

Phase Three – Scale-Up, Expansion, and Evaluation: HAI will scale and expand the intervention to additional communities experiencing humanitarian emergencies, monitor and document utilization, and evaluate the impact of the lights on perceptions of safety, security, wellbeing, and preparedness.

This project will build on HAI’s ongoing resilience work in Colombia supported by USAID/Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.