{UAH} BWANIKA: Tomorrow's Cities: A day in the life of a smart slum

Tomorrow's Cities: A day in the life of a smart slum

• 5 April 2017
            

Cities need new ways to create energy and cut down on waste, and some of the most innovative - and low-tech - solutions may well be found in the parts of town the city authorities are least likely to talk about.

While some bemoan crowded commutes, for slum-dwellers it is access to basic services such as running water or electricity that is the real issue.

And where there is need, there is often innovation.

So can the technology being rolled out in the world's most deprived urban areas offer not just hope for those who live there but also lessons for the richer parts of the city?

Night football

Image copyright PaveGen

Image caption The new pitch has delighted local children, although they now are trying to source more boots

In Brazil, just 0.02% of electricity is supplied by solar energy, despite a plentiful supply of Sun.

But in some of Rio's most deprived favelas, that is changing and solar is proving to be a cheap, clean alternative to traditional electricity.

Football is hugely important in Brazil, and all of its famous favelas have makeshift pitches full of children playing the beautiful game.

For most, the match ends when the Sun goes down, but in the Morro da Mineira favela, in Rio de Janeiro, play can continue long into the night, thanks to lights powered by the players themselves.

The six LED floodlights surrounding the field are powered by 200 kinetic tiles buried under the Astroturf, which capture the energy generated by the players' footsteps.

As players put weight on the tiles beneath the pitch, it causes electric-magnetic induction generators to kick in and generate electricity.

Image copyright PaveGen

Image caption The children need boots, which has created a new problem for those who can't afford them

Pavegen is a clean energy company founded by UK entrepreneur Laurence Kemball-Cook.

"We changed the way a whole community looks at energy and science. We ended up inspiring a whole favela of children who saw that the power of sport could turn the lights on," he told the BBC

Those children spoke about how it had changed their lives.

Luis Guilherme, 13, said that the lit pitch made him feel like "a professional football player".

"The project is really nice because, now, the field is wonderful. There aren't holes anymore, so I can play without hurting myself. I'm very glad because I have a nice place to play with my friends."

His friend, Lucas Catro de Almeida, said: "The new pitch is nice and beautiful. I love soccer, so I can say that the project changed my life."

And Matheus de Souza Claudino, 15, said: "The pitch really changed my life. Soccer is my favourite sport, and before the works of repair, there were many holes in the field and we used to hurt all the time. Now, it's really a nice place to play."

But a new pitch, even one with floodlights, brings new problems.

Luis said: "We can only play if we are wearing boots, so sometimes my cousin lends me his pair."

Lucas too relies on "someone to lend me boots to play".

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

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"Even a small dog can piss on a tall building" Jim Hightower

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