EMPOWERING
THE LIVES OF THE OVERLOOKED
Energy for Refugees (EfR) is a student-driven ANBI Dutch NGO, committed to addressing the issue of energy poverty in refugee camps and communities worldwide. In 2026, it was active in 4 different cities in the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Delft, Leiden, & Utrecht, while in 2027 two more cities will be added: Eindhoven & Twente.
The
Objective
Our Objective
is to alleviate energy poverty of people seeking shelter. Energy is a fundamental right for all human beings and the goal is to provide access through sustainable technologies. We aim to reduce the dependency of refugee camps on external parties; such us the government, this way the residents can learn to be more autonomous by setting up their own systems. This will ultimately lead to the reduction of carbon emissions, and diesel generators will be a technology of the past.
The 2026 projects
Energy for Refugees (EfR) currently operates in four Dutch cities — Delft, Leiden, Amsterdam, and Utrecht — with each local team independently managing a year‑long project from design to fundraising to implementation.
EfR Amsterdam partners with Restore Hope for Street Children, a refugee‑led initiative founded by Congolese refugee Patrick Nyongolo in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya to provide food, shelter, education, and emotional support to more than 40 vulnerable children.
EfR Delft is working in La Guajira, Colombia, in partnership with BePelican, to bring access to water and renewable electricity to the indigenous Wayuu community.
EfR Leiden is collaborating with MOSCTHA, a Dominican NGO supporting Haitian migrants, refugees, and stateless communities, in order to equip a community clinic in Santo Domingo Norte with a solar PV and battery system to counter severe power outages.
EfR Utrecht is also active in Kakuma Refugee Camp, developing a solar‑energy solution to support local needs and improve access to reliable electricity in one of the world’s largest refugee settlements, by partnering up with NARA climate, local contractors and several local Refugee Led Organisations (RLOs) from the area.
Our team
Energy for Refugees consists of 6 different interdisciplinary teams of passionate students from Amsterdam, Delft, Eindhoven, Leiden, Twente & Utrecht. Coming from different cultures and technical backgrounds, we combine our skills and knowledge to provide for people in vulnerable conditions.
What we've done so far...
Energy for Refugees started in 2018 and has successfully completed 7 different sustainable energy projects. Every year a new team of students focuses on a project, where the provided system is adjusted to the needs of the people associated. Below, one can read the maximum collective power of the solar panels installed in each project.
Our Partners
Warm thanks to...
All the sponsors who believed in our cause and donated to make this project possible
Before you donate...
Our team is mainly comprised by students willing to volunteer their time and skills without making any profit. The costs of our projects are only covered by sponsors and grants.
Each contribution is extremely valuable.
All donations go directly to our projects. As members of Energy for Refugees, we are volunteering our time and covering our own travel costs (including flights) to ensure that every euro you give supports the installation and empowers the community. If our project aligns with your values please consider donating.