Kak Bolen, Ibu Yeni, and Monica together with other Momentum for Change: Women for Results winners
Greetings from Lima, Peru!
Kak Bolen wants to inspire other Wonder Women to believe in themselves and dream big
Lost in translation but their smiles speak one universal language
Kak Bolen sells life-changing clean energy technology in her hometown on Adonara Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Kopernik, an Indonesia-based NGO, recently received a Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activity award from the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC), recognising innovative and transformative solutions that address climate change and wider challenges.
The award was for Kopernik’s Ibu Inspirasi (or ‘Wonder Women’) initiative, empowering Indonesian women to become clean energy micro-social-entrepreneurs, selling technologies such as solar lights, clean cookstoves, and water filters. Tech Kiosk operators sell technologies from their small shops, while Tech Agents sell technologies through their community networks. These women gain new skills and confidence, earn extra income, and help expand access to clean energy technologies where they are needed the most.
The Momentum for Change awards were presented at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP20) in Lima, Peru. The UN invited two ‘wonder women’ from East Nusa Tenggara, one of Indonesia’s poorest provinces, to join the event - Kamsinah Bolen from Adonara, East Flores, and Ibu Yeni from Soe, West Timor – along with Kopernik team member Monica Christy Wibawa.
I was curious to find out their experience in Peru. So, I picked up my phone and called Kak Bolen. Here is the story of their incredible journey, told from Kak Bolen’s own perspective:
LIMA IS IN PERU!
“YOU HAVE BEEN NOMINATED TO REPRESENT KOPERNIK AND FLY TO PERU!”
As soon as I heard the invitation I said yes, without even the slightest doubt. I was honoured to be nominated to represent all my fellow Tech Agents in Indonesia. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and I enthusiastically seized it.
Ibu Yeni, on the other hand, was having doubts. She has four children, and leaving them behind was not easy. She talked it over with Monica before finally deciding to join us. During the trip I kept reminding her how much her journey will inspire her children to dream big.
The journey from Adonara to Lima, Peru involved many hours of travel and many modes of transport: motorbike, boat, bus, taxi, and plane. When we landed in Peru, we were really exhausted, and for a moment we thought Lima was still a six hour flight away. Monica then told us, “Lima is actually in Peru. We are in Lima right now!” We were so relieved to hear that we had finally made it to our destination!
LOST IN TRANSLATION
We spent three days at the UN Climate Change Conference venue. There, I got to meet people from all over the world. We all looked so different, wearing different clothes, speaking different languages, but all of us had the same mission: to save the earth from a climate change crisis.
Receiving the Momentum for Change award brought a huge spotlight on Kopernik at the event. We felt like celebrities: people were approaching us to say hi, and they wanted to get to know us more.
It was great, but there were one major problem: Ibu Yeni and I don’t understand English. Not at all. So, we just relied on our dazzling smiles and said “yes!” or “no”. Ibu Yeni then told me,
“ONCE WE GET HOME, WE HAVE TO BUY A DICTIONARY AND LEARN ENGLISH!”
MAKING OUR MARK
When we did get a chance to speak, we grabbed the opportunity. During the Momentum for Change: Women for Results showcase event, Monica passed me the microphone to share my experience as a Kopernik Tech Agent. I told the audience about how I have helped my niece graduate from college with the extra money I have earned from selling clean energy technologies. It was thrilling to speak in front of so many people from all over the world.
The usually shy and reserved Ibu Yeni also shared her story during an event at the Indonesian Pavilion. She spoke about the electricity situation back in her hometown in West Timor, where frequent power outages have made people turn to alternative energy like solar lights.
She told this story to a man who she thought was just any other Indonesian man. He turned out to be a very important person working in the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Resources. Yes, Ibu Yeni managed to share her situation directly to the leaders, and that was awesome!
NEW FRIENDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
Our last day at the conference was a perfect ending to our Peru adventure: the award night. First, we attended a seminar led by a man who talked deeply and passionately about the Earth. His name was Al Gore, and apparently he’s very famous
The award night was about fun and celebration. After much hesitation, we finally danced! As we all danced together in a circle, we were reminded of the traditional dances from home. It was a party, and we felt like family.
THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS DAY? WE SHOOK HANDS AND TOOK A PHOTO TOGETHER WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON OF THE EVENING, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON. I WILL HUNT DOWN A COPY OF THAT PHOTO, FRAME IT, AND DISPLAY IT IN MY HOME!
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Peru was incredible, except for the food - if only they served white rice, it would be perfect! Three days was definitely too short for me. I wish we could have extended our stay and explored more of the country.
Back home, besides buying an English - Indonesian dictionary to learn English, Ibu Yeni and I have shared our stories from Peru with our friends, family, and Kopernik’s other ‘wonder women’.
WE HOPE OUR EXPERIENCES CAN INSPIRE THEM TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES AND TO ALSO DREAM BIG!
