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Solar street lights installed in remote rainforest communities
Anticipation and excitement are running high in the remote rainforest community of Sololo in Papua New Guinea. For the first time ever, the whole community is lit up after dark thanks to their brand new solar street lights.
For generations, people here have relied on firelight and the moon to see after sundown. Children would wait eagerly for a full moon, knowing it meant more time to play outdoors. Many had never even seen a street light, until now.
Now, the gentle glow of solar lights twinkle throughout this rainforest village.
Solar street lights being installed in Sololo, Papua New Guinea.
A new light for Sololo community life
Over the last year, we’ve been working alongside the community to install solar-powered street lights to improve visibility and safety across Sololo. Paths, resource centres and common spaces are now gently lit, allowing people to move around safely and freely after dark.
The difference has been immediate. Families can now cook after sunset, fetch water from the river in the evening, and tend to their gardens and crops later into the day.
Rita Joshua, a local resident, shared what this means for her daily life:
‘’Now I don’t have to rush to cook dinner for my family, with the streetlights and the village being lit up, there is enough light for me to cook at night.’’
Solar street lights being installed in Sololo, Papua New Guinea.
More than lights, this is rainforest protection in action
To some, a few solar street lights might not seem like a big deal. But for Sololo, they represent progress, connection, and freedom to move around freely at night. They show what’s possible when rainforest communities are supported with the tools and resources they need to thrive.
When communities like Sololo are thriving, when people feel safe, connected, and hopeful about their future, they’re far less likely to need to sell land or cut down trees just to get by.
That’s why projects like this are so vital. Supporting people is the most effective way to protect rainforest. Thriving communities mean thriving rainforests.
Next up, the communities of Kondu and Wadauda, who are already preparing to install their own solar street lights in the coming months. You can help us to deliver more projects like this to rainforest communities by donating to Cool Earth today.