Continuity is a crucial thing that determines the long-term success of a program and organization. Solar Electricity is one of the Wadah Foundation’s programs to provide electricity to communities in villages not yet served by the State Electricity Company in Sikka, Alor, Nagekeo and South Central Timor (TTS) districts. The sustainability of this program is determined by several factors, including usage, provision of tools, materials and spare parts at the beginning and intensive maintenance. It needs trained and skilled human resources in the field of solar electricity to carry out intensive care of solar electricity, instead of it then the age of Solar Electricity cannot be last long.
This is a form of commitment from the collaboration between the Wadah Foundation and Barefoot College International, India. Currently there are 1,664 solar electricity units that have been installed in beneficiary homes by 32 technicians. They are also responsible for maintaining and repairing the solar electricity if damage occurs. The existence of these technicians is somewhat limited in terms of both the number and capacity aspects needed in accordance with changes that may occur in the future. Because of this, regeneration is needed by involving individuals from solar electricity beneficiary families to be a cadre. The cadres then are trained by technicians who are experienced and have reliable knowledge and skills in assembling, installing, maintaining and repairing solar electricity.
The cadre of solar electricity technicians in Sikka, Alor, Nagekeo and TTS districts is carried out not only for regeneration purposes, but also to increase innovation and relevance according to technological developments in the solar electricity field. Individuals selected to become prospective cadres are those who have the motivation, commitment, learning ability, integrity, and availability of time to be trained so that they have knowledge and skills in installing, maintaining, and repairing solar electricity.
Regeneration is carried out by the Program Department Team assigned to manage solar electricity which begins by identifying and recruiting youth from beneficiary families in Sikka, Alor, Nagekeo and TTS districts with the aim that each family has the knowledge and ability to solve the problem when the solar electricity in their home is disturbed or minor damage. Regeneration is carried out through socialization or workshops in the field, so that the participants can directly witness and imitate how to install, maintain and repair solar electricity. Then a discussion is carried out as a form of teaching by example. In addition, the regeneration participants were also provided with a guidebook containing instructions for solar electricity management, starting from getting to know tools and materials, assembling techniques, and installing them in the beneficiary’s house, recognizing the signs of interference, maintain, and make repairs. This book has been designed in such a way that it can be studied independently.
To date, the regeneration that has been carried out in May and June 2023 has produced seventeen new technicians spread across four districts. It is these seventeen new cadres who are helping to ensure the sustainability of the solar electricity program there. They begin to apply their new knowledge and skills in their own homes for further use in the community in which they live. It doesn’t stop here; the capacity of these new cadres will continue to be increased with further training in a more structured form so that they have increasingly qualified knowledge and skills about solar electricity. This regeneration activity is intensively carried out by Wadah Foundation to realize optimization of utilization and ensure the sustainability of solar electricity in the long term.
Author: Wahyuning Dwi Ndraha
Editor: Yan Ghewa
