Help Bring Streetlights To Cape Town With #ANOTHERLIGHTUP

It's a documented phenomenon that infrastructure as basic as streetlighting can have an almost-instant impact on social behavior. Here in the US, it's easy to take that well-lit walk home for granted; under the phosphorescent glow of streetlamps, even the darkest alleys are inextricable channels into and out of an incorporated grid. In areas without adequate lighting, however, a lack of nighttime visibility often goes hand in hand with increased rates of criminal activity.

To combat the darkness that plagues the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, two design firms, Design Indaba Trust, and Thingking, have teamed up with South African artist Faith47 to raise enough funds to light the 700 meter stretch of darkness that lines the informal settlement of Monwabisi Park. The project, known as #ANOTHERLIGHTUP, combines street art with community engagement, in order to reduce the high criminal element in the area, and bring the district into the light.

For six months, a collaborative, multi-story mural entitled, "The Harvest," will hang on the wall of a residential landmark building, adorned with bulbs that glow whenever the #ANOTHERLIGHTUP hashtag is promoted. For every donation that adds up enough to fund another streetlight, the mural will glow for the rest of the evening. This ensures that charitable contributions are made directly visible to not only donors, but to the community below.

The project, coordinated by VPUU (Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading), seeks to raise enough money to fund eighty lightbulbs, enough to provide a safer, lighted passage for a district of 25,000. Donate to #ANOTHERLIGHTUP through their website, and don't forget to promote (and contribute!) by throwing the hashtag up.

Photos via Roway Pybus @MAKHULU