Bringing light to the dark alleys of Cape Town!
The residents of the PJS Informal Settlement in Cape Town have faced safety challenges at night as they did not have enough light from high-mast lights. ISTP researchers Yael and Stephanie changed this together with many locals and partners. By installing solar public lights, people in the settlement felt safer and could fulfil basic needs at night.
In informal settlements, high-mast lights generally do not provide enough light to the alleys between the houses. Residents cannot use the toilet, go to the shop or even the hospital at night because they do not feel safe in the dark alleys. The PhD candidates Yael Borofsky and Stephanie Briers lead a project to install public solar lights in the PJS informal settlement to make it safer. During all project stages, the PhD candidates were in dialogue with the city representatives of Cape Town, who were really engaged in the project.
Instead of just installing the lights, they worked together with the residents. During this project, the community leaders played a vital role. They monitored the project and, more importantly, hired young people to work on the project. Facing a high unemployment rate, especially among the settlement's youth, the 40 short-term jobs created by the project gave the residents a long-term perspective. Besides the employment opportunity, the habitants received training on installing and maintaining solar panels.
About 760 households in the PJS informal settlement benefitted from the solar lights. They reported feeling much safer to go out of the house in the dark. However, the residents' positive response did not depend on whether the household had received a solar light or not. The installation of the lights brought a higher feeling of safety to the whole community. It also enabled the residents to gather outside for a chat or the kids to play together. The positive result also spread to surrounding informal settlements, which reached out to the PJS settlement for advice.
