Two weeks ago, the last shipment of the technology products arrived at the Pekka Centre in Kelubagolit, East Flores. In total, we have delivered over 1,200 life-changing technology products (Nazava Water Filters, d.light solar lights and UB.03-1 Biomass Stoves) to our local partner Pekka in East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur/NTT). The members of Pekka NTT are all female heads of households and they are spread out in 7 sub-districts of East Flores. Due to the remoteness of these areas, the shipment of the technology was a big challenge. A combination of ships, trucks, boats and cars was needed to bring the technologies to these destinations. Changing the means of transportation entailed the additional cost of paying local porters to load and unload the products. This process not only resulted in the significant cost of shipping but also a long delivery time - ranging from 1 to 2.5 months, until the products finally reached the beneficiaries.

The fuel-efficient UB.03-1 Biomass Stove is replacing a traditional 3-stone fire with harmful smoke.

By using the Nazava water filter, this woman is now able to drink the water from her well without having to boil it. 

This technology dissemination is part of the Agents of Technology – Agents of Change project, a partnership between Kopernik and Pekka. Through this partnership, Kopernik provides Pekka in NTT with life-changing technologies on consignment that Pekka members can choose to purchase for themselves and/or sell to their communities to earn commission. The result of the baseline survey we conducted recently shows that the average income of Pekka members in NTT is a very low and therefore Kopernik and Pekka have developed a system that includes a combination of payment by installments and partial subsidy to enable Pekka members to afford the technologies.

A happy woman - one of the Pekka members with her new Nazava water filter. 

This woman does not need to rely on electricity anymore to recharge her mobile phone because she now has the d.light S250 solar light.

Following the delivery of these technologies, we sent a field staff who is currently there to assist the women with the proper usage, maintenance, repair and warranty system of the technologies. We will post more about this in the coming weeks.

 

All photos by Laura Surroca