Village Connect

6.3 million people in PNG live without access to the electricity grid. Solar lighting and energy technology presents a significant opportunity to provide clean, sustainable and affordable lighting solutions to off-grid communities in PNG. Improving PNG’s solar infrastructure benefits education, income generation, the environment and health outcomes for local people.

Household Systems

Our project illuminates homes in remote and rural PNG through the installation of lighting and energy systems for entire homes. Each system lights up 3 to 4 rooms, contains and outside light, and a charging station for families to charge mobile phones and other USB powered devices. As well as installation of the systems, we also deliver a solar energy education program to people receiving the household solar systems and train local women and men to install, undertake maintenance and understand the science and benefits behind solar technology and other renewable solutions. These systems reduce the need to burn toxic kerosene for a source of light, as well as reduce the need to spend precious and hard earned income on expensive torch batteries. The benefits for education, health, safety and environment are impressive.

Where are we connecting villages?

Village Connect’s initial focus was the communities located along and in the immediate catchment region of the Kokoda Track. To date, we have installed over 1,000 household systems plus 60 larger community units, illuminating every home along the Track and into the broader catchment, bringing energy to 30 villages in total. These systems provide clean and reliable lighting and energy to almost 6,000 people living in the remote Track communities.

Village Connect is also linked with KTF’s education program, with students who study at Kokoda College targeted to have their villages illuminated. With the tablet-based learning system at the College, it is critical that students are able to charge their tablets during their self-directed study periods at home. In the future, Village Connect will use the same rationale, aligning project locations to those where KTF education programs operate.