ATA International Projects Group (IPG) Manager Anton Vikstrom is in East Timor this month overseeing various renewable energy projects. Here’s his latest news.

It has been 12 days since I left Australia and I’ve been flat out since then.

Maliana is a district in the mountains on the Indonesian border. The ATA has been invited by the Leichart Friends of Maliana to investigate solar power for three schools and a library. Alongside meetings with officials I also conducted four site assessments for the projects. This involved travelling up some very rugged tracks to some very good new schools in the most picturesque sites you can imagine. We arrived in Sabarai village at 8am as the school kids where starting to arrive.

Following this I have been in Aileu district to assess the progress of the Village Lighting Scheme and develop designs for the next phase of the project. Peter and Sandra Cock from Moora Moora community were closely involved in this process. A series of meetings, site inspections and discussions were held with local villagers and officials, culminating with a big meeting with the whole community to discuss the future of the project. This included traditional signing and drumming much ‘hoopla’ and coffee drinking.

Women’s groups reported considerable benefits from the project, including students studying at night and greater productivity during the day as more can be conducted at night time! The villagers where unanimous in their preference for individual household systems instead of the recharge system and much thought was put into thinking how the project should progress in the future.

At the community meeting it was agreed to continue the project and to create a community management committee to oversee the project and the collection and spending of maintenance fees. The ATA will continue training with the local technicians to ensure they have the skills to assemble, install, troubleshoot and repair these small solar lighting systems.

I’ve returned to Dili to attend the Timor Australia Friendship Conference which will discuss the future of the many friendship groups which operate between Timor and Australia. Over the next few days a series of forums, workshops and presentations will highlight success stories and develop strategies to work better in the future. The ATA will be part of a panel presentation on success stories in the relationship.

Bill Bennett, Patrick Eijsvogel and Oliver Crowder will arrive over the next few days for a hectic schedule of activities in Lequidoe and Oecussi. This includes a monitoring visit to our wind turbine installation and power for three community centres. We wish them well in their adventures.

I will stay in Dili for another week to build support for the ATA/IPG projects in East Timor.

Thanks for your support and see you in July!

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