Many communities in sub-Saharan Africa have no electricity and therefore no lit streets at night, resulting in a poor security situation. Our self-sufficient StreetUPs change this and bring light to the streets. For women in particular, this leads to an increased sense of security and thus more self-determination. Lighting extends the day for people because they are no longer dependent on the sunset and can pursue activities in the cooler evening hours.
One of our problems was security. Without electricity, our village was in the dark at night and people felt unsafe.
Mayor of Mahavelona in Madagascar