YES alumni collaborated with iEARN-Bangladesh (iEARN-BD) to observe Global Youth Service Day from April 20-22, 2012. Groups of alumni participated in several innovative activities including, installing solar bottles in local slums, raising awareness about earthquake preparedness, and distributing water purification tablets.

Developed in Brazil to address under-illuminated slums, the solar bottle lights is a  simple design idea that has expanded to other developing areas where many low-income homes lack access to either daylight or electricity. Solar bottle lights simply reuses plastic bottles which are filled with water and a few drops of chlorine to keep the water clean, clear and bacteria free. The bottle is placed half way through the roof to allow sunlight from outside to illuminate the inside of homes.

A group of 25 alumni and peers installed 35 solar bottles in three slum areas in Dhaka including South Bishil, Shamoly, and Pike Para. They also shared information on earthquake preparedness and distributed water purification tablets to raise awareness about drinkable water.