Faith47 & Thingking on connecting Capetonians across geographical divides

We interview Faith47 and Lyall Sprong of Thingking about how #ANOTHERLIGHTUP aims to raise enough funds to erect 80 streetlights in Monwabisi Park.

Part of the Project

How can Capetonians who live in the City Bowl connect with their fellow Capetonians in Khayelitisha? How can communities across geographical and economic divides support each other?

In one small way the interactive Harvest mural by street artist Faith47 and Thingking, supported by the Design Indaba Trust, is attempting to bridge this divide.

The luxury of your very own toilet that you have safe access to anytime of the day or night is something most of us take for granted.

But for the residents of Monwabisi Park, Khayelitsha their daily reality is quite different. Because they depend on a communal tap and toilets that lie along a dark stretch of pathway where opportunistic criminals lie in wait, this simple daily ritual becomes a dangerous endeavour.

The #Anothertlightup project was launched in February 2014 with the ultimate goal of raising enough money through crowd funding to erect 80 streetlights in Monwabisi Park, Khayelitsha.

According to Michael Krause, project leader of Violence Protection through Urban Upgrade (VPUU), who has been working in the area since 2006, safety remains one of the biggest issues in the neighbourhood and lighting has been shown to significantly reduce crime.

People are encourage to donate through the #Anotherlightup website, when a donation has been made the lighting on the interactive mural lights up momentarily. When enough money has been raised to erect a light along the community pathway, the lights on the mural will symbolically light up for that evening.

With five months left of the fund-raising campaign, the project has managed to raise R12 743 of the R560 000 goal.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

  • Tweet #Anotherlightup to help promote the project and turn the lights on momentarily
  • Back the #Anotherlightup campaign on Thundafund and receive tokens of thanks, from a set of postcards to signed prints of the Harvest artwork
  • Donate using the convenient PayFast system on www.anotherlightup.com
  • SMS Anotherlightup to 42059 to donate R30 from your airtime or cell phone contract
  • Donate more than R5000 and you will also receive a limited edition, archival, signed print of the wall
  • One light only costs R7000. Rally your friends and network to collectively donate to erect a light
  • Get your company to donate money to erect a light, or even several lights!
  • Even if you don't live in Cape Town and can’t see the mural light up, you can still donate and have the satisfaction of knowing that you are making a neighbourhood safe for people in another part of the world