Village empowered with solar power and skills through collaborative initiative

February 26, 2025 9:56 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Nicholas Mwai.

Sixty households from Lawital village in Tanna now have access to solar power, with a collaborative effort between ActionAid Vanuatu, PowerWells, and the Women I TokTok Together (WITTT) Network. 

This marks the first phase of a project that will ultimately provide solar power to 115 households, bringing electricity to an area that relied on traditional lighting methods.

The initiative is not just about electrification—it is also empowering local women with new skills. Helen Bong, Finance and Operations Manager of ActionAid Vanuatu, shared how the instalation of work for the project begins.

“On Thursday last week, when we arrived at Lawital village, we conducted a survey on how the technicians were installing the solar systems in local houses,” she explained.

“During the training, PowerWells technicians demonstrated how to install and maintain the solar panels, and two local women—referred to as Mama Engineers—began their training on that very day.

“It was an exciting day. Every mama (women) in the community wanted to learn and practice. Most of them didn’t even know which wire was positive or negative, but they were eager to understand and do the job.”

With guidance from the two technicians of PowerWells, the two women successfully completed their training and passed their tests, equipping them with the knowledge to train other women in the community.

The solar power system is designed to be both sustainable and cyclone-resilient. Households are taught how to disconnect their panels in case of a storm and reconnect them when the weather improves, reducing the risk of damage.

“The two mamas take their time to show others what to do, so that in the future, they can fix their own connections if something happens,” Bong said.

The project also introduces a business model that ensures sustainability. Each household is required to pay a VT1,000 installation fee and a VT500 monthly fee for the electricity. Payments are made at the end of each month, and households receive a code to enter into the system to keep their power on. If the fee is not paid, the power is automatically cut off.

The funds collected will go directly to the WITTT Network in Tanna, creating a community-owned energy fund.

“With 115 households participating, WITTT will collect around VT115,000 from installations alone and, over three years, approximately VT2 million from monthly payments,” Bong explained.

“This money stays in the community—it doesn’t go to PowerWells or ActionAid Vanuatu. It belongs to the mamas in Tanna.”