Let There Be Lights!

WOMEN COMMUNITY

Women in Malaysia particularly the Orang Asal (indigenous people) women are much marginalized in terms of socio economic development. Though they hold very important role in managing the home economy in subsistence economy system, their role in cash is economy in village level are still low. This is due to the lack of opportunity or the resources/tools to generate income. Craft making is the only cash income they can get besides selling crops, but this is very limited due to marketing constraints. The productivity is also low due to the nature of the fine work required to produce this crafts such as beads and basketry.

An alternative to craft making are food processing and tailoring. Unfortunately this is limited due to electricity supply in this village that is nonexistence. Electricity is needed to run food processing equipment such as blenders and fridge while newer version of electronic sewing machines can produce better quality sewn products such as Traditional costumes, or even special packaging for our Premium Organic Rice project. A socio economic center powered by solar Power is proposed.

SHARE LABOR ‘GOTONG-ROYONG’

Community-based energy systems are owned by the local people. By ownership, we do not simply mean that the people hold the title to the project. The village residents’ sense of ownership over their system is ensured through careful research of village customs, the establishment of communal funds, democratically elected committees, and the practice of gotong royong (shared labor). The community invests in its construction, the people contribute their labor and expertise to its development, and after building the system, the people take the initiative to maintain and manage it. If, in the end, a community project is completed but the people do not take this type of ownership over its performance, the project has failed as a community-based energy system.

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On-going construction of the Socio-economy center for women to do their activities.

Children, women and men work together collection rock for the Socio-economy center floor base frame. The villager cut trees from the forest nearby, handmade process them to be used as a base frame for the building.

With the help of our staff, men are taught to Install Solar Panel on the newly made Socio-economy center building.

Local champions with our staff doing their stuff; cabling, wiring and configuring. Need to finish-up task before leaving the site on the next day.

EFFORTS PAID OFF

Their task was completed in the evening on the third day. Their hardworks for the last three days were paid off as they managed to build the Socio-economy center and they’re able to put lights to their community hall. You can see the smiles on their face when they see the lights generated from the Solar Panel for the first time. They even clapped their hands and you can see they’re eager to do the next steps, that is installing the micro hydro system.