Days are short in the tropics, and the vision for Recreo de Noche (RDN) is to provide multiple Puerto Rican communities with lit playgrounds for use after sunset, in an effort to address the immediate recreational and social needs of residents who are deprived of adequate public lighting and until longer-term utility and infrastructure projects are developed and implemented.

RDN is a replicable initiative that entails collaborative processes between teams of volunteers, local organizations and local communities. For each project, the lighting layout is determined by the local users while volunteers provide guidance by means of public discussions, participatory workshops and hands-on assistance.

PROJECT MODEL

Team

• 2 volunteers
• 1 local organization as project partner
• 1 local community

Process

• Three 2-3 day-trips over 3 months
• Two community workshops

Solar Lighting Equipment

• streetlights (up to 5): pole-mounted lighting fixtures that provide illumination on the playgrounds
• stationary lights (up to 10): lighting systems that can be installed flexibly to feature the landscape elements and highlight access points on and around the playgrounds;
• portable lights (up to 50): small portable lights that are distributed to community centers for educational and artistic workshops as well as for special community events.

IMPACT (PILOT PHASE)

September 2018- current:

Projects: 3

Volunteers: 6

Community workshops: 5

Solar fixtures donated: 137