Many of the riverside communities in the Middle Juruá territory, in Amazonas, do not have electricity. With that in mind, the organization Litro de Luz, in partnership with ASPROC, took a simple and economical solar energy technology to the region. The action aims to improve the quality of lighting through the supply of clean energy in riverside communities, enabling the lighting of public areas and residences. This project is part of the Juruá Middle Territory Program, which has the general coordination of the Sitawi and support from USAID, Natura and Coca-Cola.
In this action, more than 120 residents of the Santo Antônio do Brito and Toari communities were benefited through two main lighting solutions. 27 poles were installed for lighting public areas, such as the access corridors to houses and schools, and 33 internal solutions were installed to illuminate the interior of the houses. LED lamps, PET bottles, PVC pipes, solar panels and batteries are on the list of materials needed to build these solutions.
According to Francisca Figueiredo, a resident of Toari, a community benefited by the action, the project will be of great help: “The implementation of the solar energy project to light our homes and our school was very important for the community. Now we won't be in the dark anymore, we have lighting all night long. Before we were in the dark, now everything is clear”, she says.
In addition to installing the technologies, the project also provides training for local populations, known as ambassadors, to carry out the maintenance of lighting solutions. Tools and materials are provided so these ambassadors can troubleshoot future issues and support the rest of the community. In this way, the community is safer and residents become independent from other means of lighting that are difficult to access, such as a diesel engine, candles, batteries for flashlights and others.
To learn more about the project, watch the video of the 1st action of Litro de Luz on Youtube.
