Hiba Shraim

Engineered solar energy solutions for marginalized communities in Jordan's Zaatari Refugee Camp

Hiba Shraim, a Jordanian engineer and UNICEF innovator, transformed energy access for Syrian refugees through her Solar Oasis project launched in 2020. Deploying modular solar panels on tent roofs in Zaatari Refugee Camp, her system provided reliable lighting and charging stations to 85% of residents by 2023. This initiative reduced hazardous kerosene use by 92%, according to a 2022 World Bank study, and created micro-enterprise opportunities through battery rental programs.

Shraim's 2021 invention of the Solar Sack - a portable solar charger integrated with LED lights - became a UNHCR standard aid item. Her partnership with German NGO Green Hope Initiative expanded the project to Azraq Camp, powering medical clinics and schools. In 2024, she developed AI-based energy management systems that optimize power distribution using real-time usage data from IoT sensors.

Despite facing gender barriers in male-dominated engineering circles, Shraim's work secured $2.3M in grants from the European Investment Bank's 2023 Climate Resilience Fund. Her TEDxAmman talk Lighting Refugee Homes with Solar Power inspired similar projects in Bangladesh and Lebanon. Critics argue scale limitations exist, but UNDP's 2025 report credits her innovations with preventing 12,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually.