This International Youth Day, Capella Hotels and Resorts will be donating 200 solar lamps to provinces in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam facing extreme energy poverty. The first initiative in a long-term partnership with SolarBuddy, a global community dedicated to alleviating energy poverty for children, Capella pledges to help youths study after dusk and improve their educational outcomes through the gift of clean, sustainable light.

"At Capella Hotels and Resorts, we believe that each and every child have the right to develop to their full potential," says Nicholas Clayton, CEO of Capella Hotel Group. "Our collaboration with SolarBuddy was an opportunity that enabled us to amplify our Capella Youth initiative, ensuring every child receives proper education. This is strongly aligned with our philosophy of empowering youth to build a sustainable future for themselves."

Around the world, 789 million people live in darkness and have minimal access to light when the sun sets. To enable visibility at night, energy-poverty communities depend on rural forms of energy such as using fuel-based kerosene lamps. These energy sources not only emit high carbon dioxide but harm the health and wellbeing of people using them.

Through SolarBuddy’s renewable solar-powered lights, children will benefit from a productive study environment after dusk, determining their own future and those of generations to come. In addition, the sustainable solar invention eliminates families’ kerosene expenditure per annum, leading to overall economic development and improvement in quality of life.

Inspired by the light that illuminates the night sky, Capella Hotels and Resorts shines a spotlight on each destination's local heritage, culture and community. As custodians of the community, the hospitality group is dedicated to the enrichment of their surroundings and the lives of their community. Capella act as mentors to youth and participate in school initiatives to empower them to create a better tomorrow.

To raise awareness about energy poverty, guests and colleagues of Capella Ubud, Capella Bangkok and Capella Hanoi will be invited to help assemble the physical solar lamp, which will then be distributed to youth in their region. One of the beneficiaries include students from Mbinudita, Indonesia, where education remains a challenge with over 50% of the children having no access to electricity back home.

Readers keen to show their support and share the joy of clean, safe and reliable lighting with youth can also contribute to Capella’s fundraiser at www.capella.life/solarbuddy. All donation will go directly towards purchasing SolarBuddy’s sustainable solar lights for the beneficiary communities.

About Capella Hotel Group

The Capella Hotels and Resorts collection consists of properties in Singapore, Bangkok, Ubud, Shanghai, Sanya, and Düsseldorf. Joining the portfolio later this year is Capella Hanoi, designed by world-renowned architect Bill Bensley. Set to open in the coming years include properties in the Maldives, Sydney, and Chiang Mai. Capella Hotels and Resorts was named 2nd Best Hotel Brand in the World in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2020. The exceptional hospitality brand focuses on crafting authentic, cultural experiences for its guests, combining a legacy of thoughtful design with the highest level of personalised service. For more information, visit capellahotels.com

Yuin Yi Ng
Account Manager
Capella