Lighting up the lives of students learning across Western and Oro Provinces

KTF’s Light for Learning project seeks to improve lives, livelihoods, safety and futures by providing students and communities with a reliable source of clean solar lighting and power. By providing communities and families with a renewable source of light, students can study into the night, increased safety in communities after dark; and there is a reduced need for harmful and expensive kerosene lamps or battery torches.

Kalamato Duwabo, a farmer from Adiba village, has been using battery torches to provide light in their home, but it did not allow them enough light to do other things at night. Especially for Kalamato’s son, who was not able to do his homework at night. Now that the KTF Balimo Light for Learning project team has installed a new solar light system, Kalamato Duwabo, shares her experience.

“It means a lot to me. Now I can prepare in the night what to take the next day to the market to sell, and my child can study and do homework at night. We also feel safer going out at night. KTF has changed the lives of my community and my family. Never before have we experienced such change. Light for Learning has brought a service to our community.  Thank you for providing this service.” says Kalamato.

Phase one of the Light for Learning project is coming to an end with significant achievements attained. KTF, in collaboration with local partners, has installed 7,411 sustainable solar systems across 51 villages in Oro and Western Province.

“It has been so wonderful to see the impact of the solar systems on the lives of people across remote and rural Papua New Guinea” says Dr Genevieve Nelson, KTF’s CEO. “Our FODE Colleges in Kokoda (in partnership with DFAT) and Western Province (in partnership with SDP) now have students utilising tablet based learning and having a light and a charging source during their self-directed study period at home. Light for Learning is enabling learning to continue throughout the whole academic year, significantly improving learning outcomes for young people.”

This life-changing project was able to be achieved through vital partnerships with the PNG Sustainable Development Program, DFAT’s Pawarim Komuniti, Puma Energy Foundation, Schneider and Little Hearts for Learning.