Previous Project: Solar Light Project
The Problem: Making Clean Water Safe to Collect
Street lighting is a problem in Port-au-Prince. There are not enough lights, and the ones that exist are unreliable because of the inconsistent electrical supply. Many neighborhoods are unsafe to walk through at night, with armed robbery and sexual assault constant threats. As a result, it can be dangerous to retrieve water from water stations in these neighborhoods at night, especially for women and children.
Our Solution: Solar Lights for Safety
To make it safer for people to retrieve water at night, we have decided to install solar-powered lights at each of our water stations. We recently installed our first solar light at Trou-Sable in Port-au-Prince, an area that has had trouble with crime after dark. The light collects power during the day and comes on automatically when the sun goes down, illuminating the area around the water station and deterring would-be criminals.
Until we installed the light on September 16, 2011, members of some of the 200 families who use the water station consistently had to leave work during the day in order to collect water before sunset. Since the light went up, the number of people retrieving water at night has risen, and it is safer for residents to work, go to school, and sell goods at night.
