RSS FeedBy: Lincoln Rajali Sihotang (Kopernik’s Project Officer)
The airplane that took us from Denpasar landed at Fran Seda Airport Maumere, Flores. For me it was an exceptional feeling to be back in Maumere. I came here in 1997 for a vacation with my relatives. I was only 15 back then. This airport used to be smaller and no trolleys were available as I can remember. This time, I wasn’t here for a vacation but on a different purpose. Sansan, Tanya and I flew here on a trip to Larantuka to conduct a two-day technology fair (tech fair) in Larantuka and Demon Pagong Sub-district, East Flores District, East Nusa Tenggara Province.
Map of Indonesia and East Nusa Tenggara Province
There at the airport, we met Emanuel and Rachel from Nazava water purifier who had arrived earlier in the morning and then we hit the road. It took 4 hours traveling by car from Maumere to Larantuka and we witnessed some exquisite sceneries of the sea, mountains and villages.
Beautiful sceneries on the way to Larantuka
We arrived at 18.30 in Larantuka and there we met with Ibu Dete, the East Nusa Tenggara coordinator of Pekka. Pekka is an Indonesian NGO that has been empowering female heads of households across 18 provinces throughout Indonesia through advocacy, economic and educational programs. When we partner with an Indonesian NGO, we conduct a tech fair as the first step of the partnership. Through a tech fair, we bring in and present a range of technologies that are appropriate and useful for the respective community with whom the local partner is working. For this tech fair, we brought with us several technologies that we had introduced in several previous tech fairs: Q-drum water transporter, Nazava water filter, PermaNet mosquito net, d.light and Barefoot solar lights and wood biomass stove. In addition to these, we also introduced new technologies: corn sheller, plastic drum for crops storage, Envirofit stove and candlenut shell stove (stove that uses candlenut shell as the fuel).
On the 2nd of November, we started the 1st tech fair in Waibalun village, Larantuka Sub-district. After a formal opening by the head of village, Emanuel and Rachel started the presention on Nazava water purifier. Then Sansan presented d.light and firefly solar light and I presented Q-drum, PermaNet mosquito net and plastic drum.
Emanuel and Rachel from Nazava show how to turn dirty water into ready-to-drink water using the water purifier
This 72-year old woman can easily transport 50 liters of water using the Q-drum
Each session explains the health, economic, social and environmental benefits of the technology. Then the presenters demonstrate how to use the technology and give a chance for the participants to ask questions and try out the product by themselves. After enjoying delicious lunch prepared by Pekka members, I continued presenting Envirofit stove. Nurhuda, the inventor of biomass stove who just arrived before lunch, presented his wood biomass stove and his newly invented candlenut shell stove. All of the participants showed an enormous interest in all of the technologies we presented. Some of the women made a personal note of our presentations and some just simply came forward and had a close look at the technologies and tried them out.
d.light solar light can simply be charged under the sun during the day and it is ready to use for the night. This technology has amazed these women
At the end of the presentation, I asked the participants to form small groups to discuss and provide us with feedback on the overall event including comments on the technologies. Envirofit stove, Nazava water purifier and wood biomass wood stove were the 3 most favorite technologies of the day. We ended the event at 16.00. Sixty three participants attended the tech fair. It was a long day but very fulfilling.
Sansan is describing that Barefoot firefly is not merely a solar light. It can also recharge a cell phone
Unlike a common mosquito net, PermaNet mosquito net can last for at least 3 years without having to re-treat it with insecticide for every 6 months.
Nurhuda’s invention of the candle nut stove has given a new great value to candle nut shell
The next day on the 3rd of November, we continued the 2nd tech fair in Bama village, Demon Pagon Sub-district. A total of 105 participants attended this event, including Sub-district government officials, several village leaders and representatives of Demon Pagong Healt Clinic. The presenters took turns just like the day before. Solar lights, both d.light and Barefoot products especially the ones that can charge cell phone were very special to the participants. Most of the villages in this Sub-district only have access to the electricity from 18.30 to 23.00 so it is not possible for them to have lights outside these hours nor can they charge their cell phone.
My presentation on plastic drum for crops storage also drew a special attention from the participants. Most of the villagers are farmers and frequently they experience post-harvest crops lost due to poor storage. They usually either hang their crops on the ceiling of their traditional kitchen or keep them in plastic sacks. The air tight plastic drum is a very simple solution that can help the farmers to store their crops. The last presentation from Nurhuda with his candlenut shell biomass stoves drew an extraordinary attention from the participants. Demon Pagong is rich with candlenut tree and the farmers normally only use and sell the candlenut and waste the shell.
This is where the delicious foods in Demon Pagong begin
“I really like the stove that uses candlenut shell as the fuel. There are lots of candlenut shells in my village. I once tried to use them for cooking but they make so much smoke and produce bad smell. But this candlenut shell stove is really different, it produces blue flames, no smell and almost no smoke. From now on I am not gonna throw away my candlenut shells because they are precious” (Theresia Mora Goran, pictured above, is a 37-year-old farmer who grows candlenut, corn, peanut and rice paddy).
“Apart from candlenut shell and solar light, my favorite technology from today’s tech fair is the plastic drum. I always experience losing some of my crops after the harvest time because I store them above my kitchen but somehow they get eaten by rat and weevil. This plastic drum is very handy and it would save me from losing my crops.” (Emirensiana “Mensi” Betan, pictured above, is already retired but she has a piece of land where she grows rice paddy, vegetables and corn).
The event finished just before the lunch time and I could see tasty foods were waiting for us to consume. After enjoying this appetizing lunch, we got a special surprise. Pekka had prepared some gifts for us. They asked the six of us to stand in front and each of us received a traditional Flores scarf made by the Pekka members themselves. I was really touched and I could tell that everyone in our group felt the same way. I wish I could stay longer. I want to get to know these people, their life stories, their culture and I want to explore the beautiful nature of East Flores. But the 2nd tech fair was the last day of our stay. We had to go back to Maumere and spend the night there before heading back to Denpasar the next morning. We left all of the technologies that we presented for the Pekka members to try out. I am already looking forward to going back.
Photos by Tanya Bosshard-Sihotang and Lincoln Rajali Sihotang
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