Luz Al Barrio : bringing light back to communities

In 2024, the Fondation Nexans continued its collaboration with the international NGO TECHO in Peru. Through the Luz al Barrio program, literally meaning “lighting up the neighborhood,” the two organizations joined forces to provide reliable and sustainable lighting solutions to vulnerable Peruvian communities. As the Luz al Barrio project reaches its review stage, let’s look back at this inspiring initiative.

Founded in Chile in 1997, TECHO is one of the largest international organizations fighting against poverty. Today, the organization operates in 18 Latin American and South American countries. Thanks to the dedication of its young volunteers, the association has developed hundreds of projects over the past 25 years, including building roads, houses, and community centers. TECHO is also committed to supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

TECHO and the Fondation Nexans: a meaningful partnership

The Fondation Nexans and TECHO Peru have been working together since 2018 with a shared goal: to provide reliable access to electricity for South American communities in need. While most of the countries where TECHO operates have access to electricity, it is often expensive, unreliable, or generated using fossil fuels. The risks associated with this energy insecurity are numerous:

• Faulty electrical connections
• Fire hazards
• Pollution and toxicity from fossil fuels
• Lower quality of life

It is important to note that access to clean and affordable energy is part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7). With TECHO’s on-the-ground expertise and Nexans’ industry knowledge, our organizations are key partners in electrifying underprivileged neighborhoods across South America, particularly in Peru through the Luz al Barrio project.

Luz al Barrio: public lighting for all

Launched in 2023, Luz al Barrio—which means "lighting up the neighborhood" in Spanish—is a multi-year project led by TECHO and the Fondation Nexans. The concept is simple: installing streetlights powered by solar panels in areas where energy poverty is widespread. These autonomous streetlights, which rely entirely on daylight, help reduce insecurity in these neighborhoods and restore autonomy to the families living there.

This project has been carried out in Lima, the capital city  and  Callao. Both cities face significant social challenges, including economic inequality, limited access to basic services, and issues related to housing and education. According to INEI (National Institute of Statistics and Informatics), 14.5% of Lima and Callao’s population is considered to be living in poverty.

The Luz al Barrio project is based on collaboration between the association, the beneficiaries, and volunteers from Nexans’ teams. The beneficiaries—who know their neighborhoods best—determine the placement of each streetlight.

These high-quality, smart lights capture sunlight, store it throughout the day, and illuminate automatically at night without requiring human intervention. Additionally, they meet the highest protection and safety standards to withstand weather-related risks such as rain and frost.

A key strength of TECHO is its educational approach in convincing and guiding local populations to adopt these new streetlights. Awareness-raising sessions were held to introduce the project to residents and reassure them of the benefits of these installations. This way, they become active participants in their own development.

Luz al Barrio: a project benefiting families

The project reduces the feeling of insecurity in streets and public spaces. For example, in these steep neighborhoods, many staircases connect different areas. Without proper public lighting, these staircases become dangerous at night. The introduction of streetlights allows residents to navigate these paths safely.

Additionally, since the streetlights are independent of the regular power grid, they are not affected by network failures or unexpected outages. Thanks to their solar technology, they also promote the use of more sustainable energy.

December 2024: three days to light up lives

Last December, three new neighborhoods—two in Lima and one in Callao—had their living conditions transformed with the installation of these unique streetlights.

This initiative was made possible thanks to the commitment and dedication of Nexans volunteers. Dozens of them took time to install nearly 40 streetlights over the course of two six-hour volunteer days in the Portadas del Sol community in San Juan de Miraflores and the Talleres Artesanales community in San Juan de Lurigancho, both in Lima.

John Chacon was one of those volunteers. Having participated in a similar event in 2023, his unwavering commitment led him to take part again in 2024:

A positive overall impact

• 102 volunteers mobilized (from Nexans and TECHO)
• 840 direct beneficiaries
• 1,310 indirect beneficiaries

With the Luz al Barrio project, the Fondation Nexans changed lives for the better.