2023 IKEA Light-up Hope

A first-year junior high school girl with learning difficulties lives in a home passed down from her grandfather, together with her parents. Her mother, in addition to managing the household, accompanies her sister to hospitals for treatments, making it difficult for her to work outside. Fortunately, her father's income, although not high, remains stable, allowing the family of three to barely make ends meet.

Their home, aged and in disrepair, has been a place of leaks during rainy days and drafts during windy weather. A room without windows becomes unbearably hot in the summer, making sleep a challenge. Due to concerns about the home's condition, the girl’s family is hesitant to turn on the overhead lights for fear of electrical issues. Financial limitations have led them to continue living in these conditions for a long time. Inadequate space within the home forces them to haphazardly arrange their belongings due to the house's compromised state.


Top Left: The aging air conditioner, due to concerns about electricity consumption, is rarely used. During scorching summers, an electric fan is relied upon for relief from the heat.

Bottom Left: Worries about the house's poor condition lead to the fear of electrical issues, preventing the use of overhead lights in certain areas of the room.

Right: A corner is cleared for a computer, needed for schoolwork, but haphazardly placed sockets have become potential safety hazards.

Global warming and climate change, driven in part by human greenhouse gas emissions, make reducing energy consumption a critical aspect of sustainable energy conservation. Yet, in certain Taiwanese households, the challenges persist: aging high-energy appliances, dim indoor lighting, and extreme living conditions of cold winters and hot summers. Coupled with a lack of energy-saving knowledge and poor usage habits, these factors impact families already facing economic vulnerability. The burden of excessive water, electricity, and gas expenses (accounting for over 10% of household income) forces them to sacrifice their quality of life and well-being, becoming victims of energy poverty. This should not impede children's access to basic needs, health, and education.

We invite everyone to be the initiators of change for these children and families. Let's not only proactively help improve their living conditions but also transform their energy awareness and education, aiming to turn around their future.

Using appliances that are old or consume a lot of energy often leads to economically disadvantaged families having a high proportion of their monthly electricity bills.

According to the Child Welfare League's survey of underprivileged children in need, nearly 19.9% of disadvantaged families state their homes are hotter than outside. Among them, 22.2% feel the heat without access to air conditioning, and 30.9% rarely use it. In Taiwan's rising temperatures, these children endure perpetual stifling conditions.

Over 80% of them mention appliances like refrigerators (82.4%), washing machines (80.8%), televisions (80.6%), and rice cookers (80.0%) at home. Unfortunately, these appliances, once familiar, have turned into energy-hungry monsters. Uncomfortable settings and high energy costs have turned homes meant to be warm into places children least prefer.