Philips Lights up Mathare

Our Managing Editor; Katy Fentress has got to be a prophet. Why, you ask? In her Editor’s Note for the June edition; her first one for UP Magazine; she notes in part… “My love affair with Nairobi began in the slums. In places like Mathare and Kibera, I met inspirational people who strive every day to bring color and joy to their surroundings. It’s not safe to go out at night in Mathare. Danger lurks in the shadows. But the truth is, when the alleys are lit by the floodlights installed overhead; neighborhoods become alive with music, chatter, and the sound of people living, enjoying, being. When someone from the outside show as a little bit of interest, just a little care, these communities flourish…”

And that little care and interest was shown last month as Philips East Africa in conjunction with the Royal Netherlands Football Association who lit up a football-size training pitch using LED Solar lights. The slum literally came alive and it was all smiles, as Mathare talented soccer players and dancers enjoyed playing under the solar floodlights during the launch ceremony.

The partners intend on installing more than a hundred “Community Light Centers” in Africa, Mathare being one of them. “The concept of the Community Light Centers is to create areas of light for rural communities which live without electricity, thus effectively ‘extending the day and extending play and creating numerous opportunities for social, sporting and economic activities in the evening,” said Philips East Africa General Manager Roelof Assies.

It seemed the whole slum was here, and why not? The project will see crime rate drop but above all, give more teams space to decongest the training pitch during the day and extend training at night. Also idle youth will now get opportunities to better their lives as Philips seeks to eradicate poverty by promoting talent.

 

By Embukane Vincent Libosso.