Lighting the Way: Desmond Posivi Leads KTF's Solar Hub in Oro Province
Desmond Posivi is KTF’s new Solar Hub Manager in Oro Province. He started his journey as a qualified electrician technician working in the mines. However, seeking a new career path, he enrolled in KTFs Kokoda FODE College to upgrade his high school marks to gain further education opportunities. His dedication prevailed in 2021 when he not only graduated but was awarded Dux, having achieved the highest academic performance amongst all Kokoda students.
Since then, Desmond has been involved in numerous KTF projects, installing solar lighting and energy systems at Kokoda College, health aid posts, and Kokoda Memorial Hospital as well as assisting with the Light for Life program, which installed solar freezes throughout Oro Province to bolster the cold chain and enable vaccine storage in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With his extensive experience and knowledge surrounding solar lighting and energy systems, as well as his long and trusted history with KTF, Desmond was the natural choice for the role of Solar Hub Manager.
“The Solar Hub provides vital solar lighting kits and replacement parts that the rural populace can conveniently access at affordable prices. (Light for Learning) is life-changing and has provided thousands of households with lights after dark for families and most importantly assists students with their studies”
The Solar Hub, located at KTF's Kokoda College, offers an array of sustainable solar products including lanterns, torches, wall lights and mosquito-killing lamps. You can also visit to organise system checks, ask for advice, or order any solar products such as replacement batteries. This one-stop shop provides the essentials needed to keep any solar system or product running sustainably for years to come.
Since the opening of the Solar Hub this year, many people from communities in Kokdoa and the surrounding villages have visited Desmond to purchase subsidised replacement products, ask for technical support and advice on the care and maintenance of solar kits, and provide troubleshooting and repair services to solar units. Desmond has also conducted DIY training on basic solar systems and installation with volunteers from Kou Kou village.
The Light for Learning program and the Solar Hub are generously supported by the Pawarim Komuniti Off-grid Electrification Program. Thanks to this partnership, we have been able to install over 10,000 household lighting and energy systems across remote and rural PNG.