Safe streets for Rappin: New lighting thanks to the village community!

Safe streets for Rappin: New lighting thanks to the village community!

In Rappin, a small village that belongs to the town of Klötze, a lot of positive things are happening recently. Three years ago, Jens Nehring and the mayor Alexander Krieger turned to the city of Klötze with an urgent concern: the old street lighting urgently needed to be replaced. Some of the old lanterns were over 50 years old, and the new LED lights kept failing. In the evenings the village was pitch black, which was particularly worrying for the children who had to walk to the school bus in the dark with flashlights.

In addition, fear grew in the village community due to wolves being spotted in the area. In order to remedy this situation, Jens Nehring himself pitched in heavily. He approached sponsors and invested several thousand euros from his own pocket to install seven new street lights together with neighbors and friends. Three more are to follow. These measures have meant that the villagers, especially the children, now feel much safer.

Lively village life

The village community's commitment was also praised by Mayor Alexander Kleine. In the last few weeks, the Rappin community once again showed itself to be active when a power cable was laid for the planned Christmas tree. Around ten villagers helped, and as a reward there was warm soup prepared by the initiator Jens Nehring.

Rappin has also made an effort to create an inviting appearance. Welcome signs, newly built benches and tables, and an illuminated bus stop are just some of the measures that the villagers have implemented on their own initiative. A 300 meter long dirt road was paved and the local playground also received a facelift. Jens Nehring has even purchased a mower for his tractor so that he can regularly maintain the village square and the town entrances.

Support for further projects

Plans for the future in Rappin are also promising. Lighting the field path to school and the playground is high on the agenda. The town of Klötze has also announced that it will support the project in the future, which is another step in the right direction for the villagers. These initiatives are in line with the nationwide funding program “Smaller towns and communities – supra-local cooperation and networks”, which aims to ensure equal living conditions and fight for public services in rural areas. Joint efforts are intended to correct deficiencies and modernize the infrastructure, and Rappin is a successful example of how such changes can be successfully implemented through citizen engagement and support from the city.

Overall, Rappin's story shows how important collaboration is in small communities and that each individual can make a difference with commitment. All you can say is: keep it up, Rappin!