Kampung Sonsogon Magandai is a remote community in the District of Kota Marudu, and it is approximately 5 hours drive from the town of Kota Marudu using 4x4 vehicles over rough terrain. The village has approximately 100 houses and the main ethnicity of the village is Sonsogon Sandayo and the local Malay dialect is Sonsogon. The main source of income comes from small rubber plantations owned by some of the villagers. Other than this, the village survives mainly by farming sweet potatoes, long beans, tapioca and fruits. No electricity, minimal access to clean safe water, limited infrastructure and near to none basic facilities are amongst the many difficulties faced by the village due to its location.
The size and location of the village made it a good candidate for solar installation and with the assistance of AFCS, Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association (SWEPA) embarked on the management of a charitable project to provide solar electric power to 100 houses in Kg Sonsogon Magandai. AFCS’s background allowed it to provide the necessary support to SWEPA as well as assist with access and logistics.
Solar electric power replaces costly and non-renewable forms of light, such as kerosene and candles, which is extremely beneficial in more remote communities. The solar panels will allow students to study at night, as well as permit many other economic activities to continue after dark. Community meetings and women’s handicrafts are some of the few things that will no longer be restricted to just the daytime. Moreover, television and radios powered by solar electricity will provide the community with greater access to information and knowledge allowing them to advocate for greater development in the community.
In the spirit of SWEPA’s “Women Helping Women”, women were encouraged to step forward and volunteer to become fully trained to set up, wire and repair solar panel systems for the village. In the end, a young grandmother, Tarihing Masanim, 47, was selected to spend 6 months in India to be trained as a solar technical engineer. Upon her return in 2015, she was fully equipped with new skills to maintain the solar panel technology throughout the village.
SWEPA’s partner in the project is The Barefoot College of India, the brainchild of Mr. Bunker Roy, a well-known Indian philanthropist who works closely with the Government of India to sponsor the training of the Grandmothers to acquire the necessary engineering and technical know-how on the construction, maintenance and servicing of the solar power sets. Each year, Barefoot College trains 100 illiterate to semi-literate women from around the world to become competent solar technicians and these women return to their villages with new skills and are able to make a significant impact on community development and poverty eradication.
SWEPA successfully applied for and received a grant for the project from the UNDP Small Grants Programme offered and funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF). This grant was used to cover the acquisition of the solar equipment for the 100 houses at the village of Kg Sonsogon Magandai and transportation of the solar equipment from India.
Tarihing supervised the installation of solar panels in 100 village homes following her return. The installations have finally brought electric power to a community that needs it. Now 550 villagers residing in the area have access to solar electricity, and an engineer on site with technical skills to repair and maintain these solar panels for years to come. This is not only a life-changing experience for Tarihing, but also for all the villagers who benefit from her bravery in learning a new craft in a foreign country with the goal to better the living standards within her own community. Truly an inspiration!
You can find out more about the SWEPA Barefoot Solar Project at https://barefoot.swepa.org.my/
