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the flow

MADAGASCAR:  MICRO AND MINI HYDRO INITIATIVES OF THE ASSOCIATION DES INGÉNIEURS POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT DES ENERGIES RENOUVELABLES (AIDER)

12/21/2020

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The electrification rate in Madagascar remains very low, averaging 15 percent nationally, 8.1 percent in rural areas and 60.7 percent in urban areas. While biomass, diesel, and fossil fuels dominate the energy mix across the country, there exists a great potential for small-scale hydro systems. Only 1.9 percent of Madagascar’s hydropower potential has been utilized, and yet hydropower generates approximately 68 percent of the electricity in the country.  Its economy depends on tourism and the cultivation of paddy, coffee, vanilla, and cloves, which could be further enhanced through increased energy access.

Small-scale hydropower also presents great potential for ecosystem restoration in Madagascar. Healthy watersheds are critical to sustainable community-based hydropower, as mature forest cover ensures consistent stream-flow, mitigates erosion, and builds resilience against the impacts of climate change.  As such, hydro mini-grids are a nature-based solution that promotes watershed strengthening. Investment in nature-based solutions like small-scale hydro can play a critical role in building climate resilience and safeguarding biodiversity in Madagascar, where more than 90% of original forests have been lost.

One of the leading small-scale hydro implementation organizations in Madagascar is the Association des Ingénieurs pour le Développement des Energies Renouvelables (AIDER).  Read on to learn about AIDER’s efforts to advance small-scale hydro in Madagascar.

Established in 2008, AIDER is an association of about 20 multidisciplinary engineers working in the field of renewable energy in Madagascar. AIDER works on studies, design and implementation of hydroelectric and solar power plants. AIDER works in partnership with the Agency for the Development of Rural Electrification (ADER), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Tany Meva Foundation, the Institute for Energy Management (IME) at the University of Antananarivo, the Higher Institute of Technology of Antananarivo (IST), the Group for Research and Technological Exchange (GRET) and the Albert Schweitzer Ecological Centre (CEAS).
Two 7.5 kW micro hydro systems in Andriantsemboka. Credit: AIDER
Switchboard for one of two 50 kW MHPs in Sarobaratra. Credit: AIDER
Mini hydro in Amboasary – Anjozorobe. Credit: AIDER
Locally-developed micro hydropower

AIDER has built eight MHPs, ranging from 7.5 kW to 100 kW, electrifying a total of about 450 households in rural municipalities of the Analamanga and Atsimo Andrefana regions.  Five of the projects are owned and operated by AIDER.  All of the systems use turbines that have been locally manufactured by AIDER, thereby having generated local employment.  In addition to providing reliable electricity to households, the MHPs power town halls, police stations, clinics, churches, schools, and street lighting. ​
Partnership for feasibility and design studies

Since 2009 AIDER has carried out approximately 30 studies for micro hydropower projects (MHPs), including hydrological studies.   In 2018 AIDER began collaboration with the Swiss Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development (Skat).  On behalf of GIZ’s Renewable Energy Electrification Project (PERER) in Madagascar, Skat partnered with AIDER to conduct the following.  

  • Feasibility of study of the Amabatotoa site, where the options of a 100 kW off-grid project, 2.3 MW grid-connected project, and 6 MW grid-connected reservoir project in the Upper Matsiatra Region 
 
  • Feasibility study of the Ivato off-grid site of 100 kW in the Amoron'i Mania Region 
 
  • Detailed study of the off-grid Sahandaso Mini Hydro Project of 240 kW  in the Atsinanana Region, including developing the MV line plans, single line diagrams, design calculations and cost estimates
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AIDER carried out hydrological analyses, topographical surveys, installation and operation of the gauging stations, installation of pressure probes, and recording tables with iridium antenna for auto data transmission.  It also conducted flow measurements and analysis using the propeller method, conductivity meters, and an acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP).


Topographical survey of cross section. Credit: AIDER
Gauging station at Sahandaso with automatic data transmission. Credit: AIDER
Hydrological station at the Ambatotoa site. Credit: AIDER
Hydrological station at the Ivato site. Credit: AIDER
Flow measurement using the propeller method. Credit: AIDER
Flow measurement with conductivity meter at the Sahandaso site. Credit: AIDER
Mini hydropower for local industry and agri processing

AIDER and SKAT are currently collaborating with CEAS and UNDO to develop a detailed design study for the development of the Andriambe mini hydro project, having a potential of 225 kW and located on the Nanangainana River in Mandialaza. 

The project aim is to provide clean and affordable electricity to three villages, in terms of household needs, critical social infrastructure, and productive end uses, such as carpentry workshops, feed mills, metal workshops and food processing. 

Ginger processing presents a particularly promising opportunity to generate income in the villages. Ginger is currently sold as a raw product to passing traders at a very low price.  Affordable electricity will enable the production of a higher-value product.  
Harvested ginger sold raw. Credit: AIDER
Carpentry workshop. Credit: AIDER
The site’s catchment area is almost completely located within the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Although part of it is partly deforested for agriculture use, forest conservation will lead to a healthy watershed that is vital  for the sustainability of the MHP. Further, the project will incorporate corresponding awareness-raising activities on appropriate management methods for local communities residing in the catchment area.
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The densely forested catchment area. Credit: AIDER
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"HIDDEN NO MORE":  AN INTERVIEW WITH A MINI HYDRO SHAREHOLDER, HASANA FATIMI

12/10/2020

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Our Hidden No More series features women micro hydro practitioners who have transformed gender barriers to generate energy access for marginalized communities.  While our past interviews focused on women who facilitated micro hydro as members of the implementing organization, in this edition we have the rare opportunity to feature a woman leader from within the community, Ms. Hasana Fatimi.

Hasana is a local hero amidst the most isolated and remote valley of Chitral, Pakistan. Her journey is embedded in the thriving community-based and women share-holding models that have transformed micro and mini hydropower (MH) development across the most inaccessible, yet the most beautiful valleys across Pakistan.   This approach to MH has been developed by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) as a part of its community-owned utilities initiative.

Special thanks goes out to our Board member Meherban Khan, AKRSP's Coordinator for Utility Companies, for helping to make this interview possible.

PictureHasana Fatimi. Credit: H.Fatimi
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am Hasana Fatimi. I belong to a small village of 200 households called Bang, located in Yarkhun Valley, of Upper Chitral District in Pakistan. I am one of the few women in this valley and the only female in my family with a master’s degree.

​Currently, I work as a sales officer in the Yadgar Utility Public Limited Company, our community-owned utility that supplies electricity to 1200 households (in 24 villages, including Bang) using electricity generated from a 800kW mini hydro system. I’ve been working here for the last three years.




How did your education, i.e. master’s degree, help you in your professional life?

We belong to a very isolated area in the northern part of ChitraI. I enrolled in Abdul Wali Khan University in Chitral for the master’s program and graduated in 2017. My village and the university were 150 km apart, connected through a broken road, and hence I lived at my relatives place which was close to the university. The knowledge gained during my university life has helped me immensely in my professional career.  

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Bang village, Chitral. Credit: AKRSP
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Bang village, Chitral. Credit: Google Earth
How do you identify yourself -- a women entrepreneur, a community leader, or an energy practitioner?

In this valley, women haven’t had a lot of opportunities to work and contribute to their household. After completing my education, I started my career as a teacher in a private school but that felt insufficient, as I wanted to do something for the women in this area. I then decided to be an entrepreneur, as I always wanted to be an inspiration for the women in my region. I wanted to show them that everything is possible, to dream big and to aspire for more meaningful things in life.  
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Hasana Fatimi working at the Yadgar Utility Company. Credit: H.Fatimi
How did mini hydropower arrive in Bang village, and how were women involved? 

Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) has formed and mobilized village organizations that are led by both men and women. They are combined to form a cluster known as Community Organization (CO) of which all men and women of the village can become a member. The CO put in a request to AKRSP for a 800 kW mini hydro plant. Before that they had a 50 kW and 100 kW plant constructed by AKRSP, which were only used for lightning purposes and didn’t equip us in cooking or business ventures.   
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Yadgar Utility Company mini hydro powerhouse. Credit: AKRSP
On the basis of this resolution by village men and women, AKRSP started work on the design, site selection, feasibility, fund arrangement etc. The women were present in all meetings, dialogues and identification areas component. Women were involved in the construction phase, and were part of the supervisory and management committee of the cluster board. However, they didn’t take part in the design phase, as it is technical work and women are not educated enough to carry out that task. 

How is AKRSP facilitating mini hydro efforts in Yarkhun valley?

AKRSP is a community-based development organization. It is focused on integrated rural development in Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral (GBC) region of Northern Pakistan.The Water and Energy Security (WES), funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by AKRSP, is the program that supports mini hydro development in this valley.  

AKRSP, the implementing partner for our mini hydro project, had prior experience of establishing over 200 micro hydro plants and thousands of water development projects that were operated by local communities. The project was framed to transform the traditional community-based approach to manage small scale micro hydro, into modern utility companies. The project followed an ambitious, market-based financing plan, raising 20% equity, 50% donor funding (i.e. SDC), and 30% bank loan to be offset later from the carbon income [yet to materialize] and tariff collection. 
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Yadgar Utility Company site. Credit: AKRSP
AKRSP has a major role in the development of this area. It has worked in every important aspect of living and improved the living standard of the people in this valley. Basic needs like providing clean drinking water to electricity, health, education, agriculture development, roads, and every aspect of life have been improved due to the role of AKRSP. 

AKRSP supported the construction, operational phase, and funding for our mini hydro project. They invested and made us shareholders for the sustainability of the project.  Until the project becomes self-sustainable, AKRSP supports us with the maintenance and running costs of the plant.    ​
PicturePenstock and powerhouse of the Yadgar Utility Company's mini hydro system. Credit: AKRSP
They also provided technical support to our utility company, e.g. train operators and connect households to the company. They continue to assist in locating investors for the sustainable development of other mini hydro in the valley. So basically AKRSP is providing support to communities in terms of skills building and finance for the long-term sustainability of electricity in the valley. 

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​How did the local community become involved in the mini hydro project?


We underwent the usual protocol of AKRSP, which consisted of dialogues, in which the communities established the need for electricity and the willingness to engage in a micro hydro project.  The communities contributed in the construction, and eventually they became shareholders and now they are the owners in this venture. The project started around 2012, but due to financial constraints, it was delayed till 2015. It was a hybrid model of financing. Initially, it entailed a grant, followed by obtaining a loan, and ultimately it was sustained by investment from the community, who eventually became the shareholders in the project. 

The money that is usually collected through community mobilization for the formation of a maintenance fund, was later on transformed into equity. The initial minimum contribution per household was fixed around PKR 6000 to contribute to maintenance funds. The minimum contributions were set by AKRSP at PKR 10 Million for the community as a maintenance fund or community contribution for the project, which is an equivalent of approximately 5% of the project cost. With the transformation of the unit into public limited companies, the initial investments/contribution of the community members were converted into shares and transferred to individual persons as share capital. The value of 1 share was set at PKR 100. Furthermore, the minimum investments were reduced to PKR 1500 for women, so that the women members of the community could also participate as shareholders/members of the company. 

How many women are involved in this project and what is their background?

More than 400 women are shareholders in this mini hydro project. A small portion of the women are educated and most of them are housewives, but many of them have started their own businesses at household level. In this mini hydro project, we have obtained a loan and our sales are not high enough to meet the loan repayment, given the high operational and maintenance costs. But we are moving in the right direction and by 2023, we will hopefully repay the entire loan and then the company will receive profits, and we will receive shareholder dividends.  

What was it like for the women in the area before the mini hydro project? 

We had everything in terms of natural resources, but we didn't have electricity to ensure basic facilities and sustainable development in the valley. There were no diesel generators and everyone used kerosene lamps. 

PictureWomen cooking using kerosene lamps. Credit: AKRSP
There was a rare case of a kerosene stove for cooking, but it was destroying the food quality due to the smell. Most of the locals in the valley were using firewood and cutting down the precious forests of the valley. 
We would spend most of our time gathering fodder for the livestock, fetching fuelwood for heating purposes, and using indigenous techniques for threshing grains, which was very tough and time-consuming.   

According to you, what has been the overall impact of the mini hydro project in Bang village?

Bang village consists of 200 households and the mini hydro plant is 7 km away from the households. Community-based hydro has been operational here since 1995 when AKRSP first constructed the 50 kW micro hydro system, but it only fulfilled the basic needs of lighting for the households across the valley. So there were various restrictions in place for using electric appliances such as rods, heaters, rice cookers, and ovens, which didn’t fulfill our basic needs. 

After the completion of the 800 kW mini hydro project, the majority of households started using electric appliances for cooking meals, chapati, tea making and heating purposes. This has not only resulted in increased output and productivity, but has also helped us to focus on our children because it saves us time and energy.

PictureWoman cooking using electric stove. Credit: AKRSP
Before the mini hydro, women in the area spent a major chunk of their day washing clothes and making butter manually, as households have a good number of livestock in the valley. Now use of the washing machine and butter churner will save us a lot of time, which are used for productive purposes. In addition, use of electricity for cooking will also save time, as cooking meals with fuel wood not only required more time but the smoke was hazardous for health too.  ​

PictureWoman working at a utility store in Bang village. Credit: AKRSP
New businesses are also propping up as a result of the additional electricity, which have improved the living standards in the valley. In fact, it has been amazing to see that women who didn’t have formal education, have also started opening up their own businesses, due to the availability of electricity in the area.

Moreover, people have started educating themselves at night, due to the availability of internet facilities. This wasn’t possible before, as there wasn’t enough electricity, but this is a huge change now, which will have a positive impact on the literacy rates and livelihoods of the valley. 
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A mother and a son studying at night using electricity from the mini hydro system. Credit: AKRSP
Before this mini hydro project, there were no hospitals or lab facilities in the valley. Thanks to the electricity now, we have hospitals that not only have maternity services available, but also have birthing centres to ensure safe and healthy child births in the valley. Moreover, we can see that the health of the locals, especially the women, has improved due to the hospital and the easy access to it now. The general diseases in the area have also reduced, and the eye problems in particular have reduced considerably. 
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The scope of this mini hydro project is very diverse and it has been a blessing for the people of this area. All in all, the scope and impacts of mini hydro are very positive and diverse, and it has had a life changing role for our society.

Tell us about your first encounter with the mini hydro project, and what are your daily responsibilities? 

I participated in an interview for the position of a sales officer in the Yadgar Utility Company and was selected. When I started my job, I got the opportunity to interact with people in the mini hydro sector, and also with the community directly on a daily basis. 
My daily routine involves selling prepaid electricity units and collecting cash in return. I look after the Vending Point System, where consumers come and top up their prepaid cards in return for electricity. Everyday I meet 7-8 women, who visit the Vending Point System and I guide them in starting their own micro-business. 
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Hasana Fatimi at the Vending Point System selling pre-paid electricity. Credit: H.Fatimi
I also link the customers to the training section of the utility company, which provides training in business management, bookkeeping, business planning etc. Moreover, I connect the locals who are seeking loans to set up their own businesses, with the most suitable institutions.  

How does the Vending Point System work and how accessible are they?

The Bang village spans across an area of 16 kilometers and it is divided into four areas. Every person has to travel 1km to reach the Vending Point System.
PictureA transaction at the Vending Point System. Credit: AKRSP
We have four Vending Points Systems, in which 5-6 villages are connected to each other. There are only two Vending Point System managers in the entire valley of 1200 households. Out of these four Vending Point Systems, two are managed by women, and two are closed. This is very inspirational for women in the valley, as it indicates that women are not only able to operate this technology, but are entrusted with this very crucial component of the mini hydro system. The Vending Point System means that there is a prepaid system in place, where each person has a card. The locals come to the Vending Point System and tops up their cards with kW units, by paying cash and loading the kW into their respective electricity meters. 

What kind of impact do you see from your role of advising the enterprise for women?

Earning money and contributing to the household makes the women independent. My guidance and support to the women in my valley has helped them start their own household businesses and they are now able to contribute to their household finances. They now have a chance to highlight their local products in the national and international markets too. This includes learning skills, such as the sewing machine and embroidery, that results in beautiful clothes for the women. 
PictureA woman ironing clothes using electricity from the community mini hydro system, while her child looks outside. Credit: AKRSP

Women are also now more aware and preserve their excess food, such as milk and chicken, in the refrigerators due to the availability of electricity. This includes apricot, pear, cherry, peach, apple and other fruits. The fruits are then further made into various jams using the electricity, mainly in the months of september and october, when the fresh fruits are available. The jams are used in the household, and also sold in the nearby households across the valley. In order for these jams to be sold in the market, we need machinery and a sustainable business model, with proper training in packaging and marketing. That would lead to an increased income generation and improved livelihoods across our valley. 

Was there difficulty at the start to convince the women to do business?

Initially, it was a challenge to mobilize them. They were afraid to start their own businesses, as they were afraid of failing and losing their hard earned money. This idea was and is still being complemented by the men, who blame them for failing and hence, they’re a little hesitant now. 

AKRSP is providing these women with soft loans now, and this is a great incentive for women to take risks now. This has led to women giving back to their household and has earned them great respect in the community now.
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Hasana, did you yourself face any challenges because you're a woman, at any time during university, or education, or during your project?

Being a woman, I had to face the patriarchal attitudes of the people in the valley. I also need to account for the societal pressures and geographical limitations that are imposed on women. Moreover, it was a great challenge to fund my university education and then finding a job after graduating, was another uphill battle that I fought. I now have to keep a fine balance between my job and the household chores.

Furthermore, it was not easy to equip the local community. I mobilized the women and explained to them the dynamics of the area. During my professional life, people would sometimes come in the evening and ask to charge their card, and this is not easy for women to manage. Men would come to the Vending Point Systems after 6 o'clock to top up their cards, and in some instances, I’ve had to go to the point after office hours, and top up their cards. 

Do you see both young and old women interested to start their own businesses?

Educated women are more focused on their education, and are trying to get out of the valley in search of better opportunities. Other women who are enrolled in post-graduate degrees, are starting their own businesses too. However, unmarried women are preferring jobs as they have to shift to other areas after getting married, and hence might not be able to work then. This is because they know that after getting married, they might have to relocate to possibly even more remote areas or go into more conservative families - where they might not find a job or be able to work respectively. In this area, we have 10-15 businesses that have been started by women, out of which, 10 have been started by older women.

If the women weren’t involved in this mini hydro project, what do you think would have been the outcome?

Without the women, the result will only be 30% of what we have now. The demand for electricity by women is very high, as they’re using electrical appliances at home. Most importantly, we’re now shareholders in the project, and are a major part of the decision making process. They're part of the discourse now, are negotiating their demands and are discussing important issues such as prices and tariff-designs. They're debating on the frontline now, and this is very encouraging for the women community across our valley.

What impact has the mini hydro project have on you/how has your knowledge and experience developed?

Dealing with a diverse group of people has definitely broadened my view of the world. Moreover, supporting conflict resolution in the community has enhanced my skills greatly. In the beginning, I was a little hesitant to engage with the community, but I adjusted eventually. Now I’m extremely motivated to spread awareness and solve the issues of the community. 

What other programs can support women? What kind of solution do you think can help? 

Equitable business opportunities, vocational training, and household level decision making are extremely vital in the upliftment of the women in our society. If the women in my valley become more financially independent, then they’ll be able to exercise greater power in the household decision making.
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Vending Point System operator. Credit: AKRSP
What is your hope to improve women's lives in your community?

Financial support by the NGOs and the government, women empowerment, vocational training and motivating women to start their own businesses will be extremely essential to uplift the women in our valley. We need to attract them to entrepreneurship, and help them learn the necessary skills to promote their local products and culture to the world.
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Yarkhun Valley in Chitral, Pakistan. Credit: Google Earth

For more insights on AKRSP's work, be sure to check out our program case study Evolution to Inclusive Social Enterprise.
 
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HIDDEN NO MORE - WOMEN CHANGE MAKERS FOR ENERGY ACCESS: AN INTERVIEW WITH ANITA BOHARA

3/8/2019

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To celebrate International Women's Day 2019, we are launching the Hidden No More feature series!  It spotlights women change-makers who have transformed gender barriers, and made significant contributions to energy access for marginalized communities.

We are excited to feature our first change-maker -- Ms. Anita Bohara, an energy access specialist in Nepal.  Energypedia and HPNET had the opportunity to connect with her inspiring reflections as a woman micro hydro practitioner.   Read below!

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Anita Bohara.  I have worked in the Nepal micro-hydro sector for 4 years and roughly 12 years in the energy sector, including both on-grid and off-grid. I completed my Master’s degree on sustainable energy systems and management from the University of Flensburg, Germany.​

How did you start your career in micro hydropower?

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I started my career in 2004 as a Technical Officer at the District Development Committee in Rural Energy Development Section (DDC-REDS) of Baglung District in Nepal,​
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Ms. Anita Bohara, Nepal micro hydro and energy access specialist.
I supported implementation of the Micro-hydro Program (MHP) under the Rural Energy Development Program (REDP), supported by the Government of Nepal and UNDP.

What was it like to be on the ground then?

​It was a time when the country was in an intense situation because of the conflict between Government and Maoists. Many people were killed during this conflict and the situation was not favorable to carry out development work. ​I can still recall those moments when there was a massive attack in the neighboring Myadgi District, when I had just signed onto my first employment contract. Since I had never been away from my family in Kathmandu, I had quite a task to convince them to let me start my career in a district so far away from home and so close to the conflict. 

We were only three female officers out of 25 technical officers, and I was the only one to stay with the program for more than a year.  Later, I was promoted to acting Energy Development Officer and then to Energy Development Officer (EDO). I worked for about two and a half years and received an opportunity to obtain a master’s degree with a scholarship. I must give credit for this opportunity for higher education to the strong recommendation provided by my supervisor and my work experience with this organization.
 
Tell us more about your work as an Energy Development Officer.

As an EDO, my program was under the umbrella of the District Development Committee (DDC). I was working in coordination with DDC and other line agencies in the district. The program’s main objective was to provide access to electricity through the implementation of micro hydro projects in the very remote locations of the district where there was no possibility for grid extension at least for the next five years. Besides micro hydro installation, the program also supported various capacity building activities anchored on a strong community mobilization process, in order to ensure sustainability in the long run.
 
Baglung District has very good potential for micro hydropower. While other districts were working with one local NGO on four to five projects, we were working with two local NGOs implementing about ten different projects.  To work in such a conflict situation was definitely a big challenge for us.  Moreover, the road accessibility was extremely poor in those days that we had to walk for three days at most, just to reach the project area. Despite all these challenges, the local NGO and the community remained active and enthusiastic. With their support, we managed to make good progress with the implementation of the MHP projects. During this experience, I was also awarded with the Best Technical Officer recognition in the region for my work -- which motivated me so much to continue working in the district.
 
I must say, the experiences and learning I gathered while working with the micro hydro communities, local NGOs and district agencies in this project helped me greatly in all other projects and organizations that I worked for afterward in my professional journey.
 
Tell us about your work at GIZ-EnDev.
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I worked as the Program Coordinator for GIZ-EnDev for 1.5 years. I was involved in supporting teams in managing the Micro Hydro Debt Fund (MHDF) with the Alternate Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC). After 15 years of being away, I was glad to return to a more advanced micro hydro sector.  However, I encountered very different challenges in this phase of the sector.

Besides access to electricity through installation of this technology, sustainability of micro hydro operation had become equally challenging in the sector. Lack of effective tariff collection mechanisms, project management capacity of the community, social issues due to lack of transparency during the project construction phase, project shut down due to failure of civil structures and lack of technical capacity of the community, low penetration of electricity based enterprises that generates the revenue for the project, low capacity factor and grid arrival among others -- were all challenges that resulted in defaults for repayment of banks loans provided by the MHDF.

What do you think can be done to make Nepal micro hydro projects long-lived?

Attractive risk sharing mechanisms needed to be developed to encourage the private sector and the financial institutions to invest in micro hydro projects. Intervention of innovative technology in the tariff collection mechanism and loan repayment process not only helps in the loan repayment but can also tackle various social issues that are always crucial to the sustainable operation any community-owned systems.

There is also a need to work with the community and build their capacity to manage the project, at least for some time, may be up to six months before the project is completely handed over to be managed by the community. The usual practice is to pour all the support and capacity building activities to the community before the project comes into operation, and only after is it immediately handed over to the community. Such infrastructures are very big to be managed by the community themselves - even if we are only talking about small scale hydro, we cannot expect the community to get it right, right off the bat.

This leads to major challenges and issues that come right after the project starts operation. There are also big behavioral changes among the beneficiaries that must come with the operation of the project. Therefore, sustained social mobilization and capacity building to establish proper tariff collection mechanisms, plant operation, and good governance long after the project is finished will build the community’s self-confidence and capacity for sustainable operation. While managing other projects such as community owned large size biogas projects and water pumping systems, I found out that the issue was not only exclusive for micro hydropower but also important in other renewable energy systems.
 
Were there challenges that you faced as a woman engineer?

When I was pursuing my civil engineering degree in the year 1999 to 2003, we were only eight female students out of 80 students in the class. One of the reasons why women were not choosing this field is the prevailing thought that it requires extensive field visits. Most female students were more attracted towards architecture and computer faculties. In those conflict situations in the country (before 15 years), everyone regardless of gender, was hesitant to go to work in these districts. Women engineers like me, were almost negligible in a technology sector that required one to be based away from the home and family.
 
Initially, because of my age and gender, the community did not easily believe in me and doubted my stay in the district I also noticed that some of them pitied me, which I also heard from other local colleagues. Similarly, communities were almost always surprised to see me at the start. They had a mindset that all engineers and technical persons must be male. On many occasions, I felt like they had more respect for my male subordinates than me. Nevertheless, this was not a huge problem for me; and it was interesting to show off my capacity to people with such mindsets, and oh boy, did I prove them wrong! I believe my work spoke for itself and eventually earned their respect. Hopefully they were convinced that women are just as capable as men in the engineering field.
 
While working in the district as an EDO, one challenge I faced was the social networking and informal meetings which can impact your work. I used to be very much reluctant for informal meetings because of security reason in the beginning of my professional career when I was in the district. I think compared to men, women professionals must face more challenges to attend informal meetings and networking events to balance work and family life, which to some extent have impact on their work.

Do you think that how a daughter is raised affects her professional journey? 
 
Whether women get equal opportunity to study or choose a career, it remains a fact that majority of girls in a country like Nepal are not raised to be strong as compared to boys. I would like to share that though I decided to work away from my family, I always had a fear of dealing with people. I am much more confident now, but it was very difficult for me to adjust when I started my career working in the district alone, with no family in the area, especially with the constant worry regarding security.

I remember a time during my first week of work, I had to travel to one micro hydro site together with just one of my male staff. I have just started working with him and did not know him well enough. I still remember that I was very stressed travelling with him the entire day, until we reached the village. Especially when we went through very isolated places in the forest, I used to walk so fast, and I think it was clearly obvious to him that I was looking for means of escape and signs of houses or people. Later, I realized how he was consistently kind, supportive, and sensitive throughout the trip and during my work with this organization. I realized that maybe it is also a struggle for men to travel with their female supervisors in our country. We need to be taught at an early age, the essential life skills needed to be strong and handle difficult situations. For this, there needs to be a healthy dose of independence. However, the level of civilization and crime that occurs in the country makes this difficult. It is also understandable how parents would want to protect and shelter their daughters.
 
How did you think you impacted the community as a woman engineer?

While visiting project sites (including MHP but also other technologies), I was overwhelmed to see children walking long distances just to get to school and young women (who are in their late teens) already having 2-3 kids.  I particularly noticed that the girls did not study beyond the seventh or eighth grade and were married off early. Girls either they get pressured from their family for early marriage or they get lured to the fancy clothes and makeup that they could do after getting married and this is really disheartening to see.
 
So, when women engineers like me visited the site and talked to them, it gives them a positive example of what they can do in life. I always made a point, to talk to these young people and motivate them as much as I can. I also found that they were always positively surprised to see a woman engineer -- and I was glad to be this surprise for them.

Can you describe a memorable incident where you had to push for equal rights for women?
 
I remember one community that owns a biogas facility where almost all women members do not have their citizenship. Our projects required mandatory representation for equal representation of women in the executive committee, for which they needed to have citizenship as the organization had to be registered. The male members seemed reluctant to go with the process for preparing the citizenship for women.
 
We had to communicate to the community that we will bring the project elsewhere if there is no equal participation of women in the executive committee. We pressured them to process the citizenship of the women if they really wanted to bring in the project. We even had to delay the project by a couple of months just for the women representatives to prepare their citizenship and get represented in the executive committee.
 
As I mentioned, many professions are gender biased, like engineering which requires site visits and working in remote stations away from family. Families remain reluctant to give females more freedom. So maybe, engineers like us who have been successful in the field could be role models and sources of encouragement for those families. With these examples I do not mean to say that gender issues should be handled by women professionals exclusively, (especially now when there are many male gender experts and professionals at the policy level supporting and advocating for gender energy issues,) but just my thought that maybe it is more likely for women professionals to be more sensitive towards the women’s issues in those working areas.
 
What is the impact of energy access on women?

Access to energy can bring lot of changes in women’s life and livelihood especially in the rural areas. Since women are more responsible for cooking, collecting firewood, carrying water, walking long difficult distances in the hills. Access to energy services in the form of electricity, water, clean cooking fuel not only reduces the drudgery and save time for them but also improve their health situation. However, I would like to give following feedback that I think needs to be taken care while designing, planning and implementing any energy access program and projects;
 
There is higher need to consider the impact they have in their normal daily life during construction phase when they have to contribute labor, considering they already have much more workload and responsibilities in their family. In one of the community-owned projects, I was touched to see a woman who consistently wakes up earlier than normal at 4 am every day just to be able to contribute to the project. This shows the commitment women have towards such projects, but also the increased workload for them who already bear the brunt of daily chores in the household.
 
I would also like to share one of the instances, where we were doing focus group discussion separately for men and women in one village. It was interesting to see that all men prioritized electricity, but most women prioritized easy access to water as they had to walk 2-3 hours daily for water. This clearly showed that there are separate demands of men and women for which gender-sensitive energy policies are needed. Energy needs for different genders should be considered in the planning process, rather than integrating gender issues only during implementation, monitoring and evaluation process.
 
Though women have much more work load especially in the rural areas they have minimal access to the income that comes in the house and family. Access to Energy services whether in the form of water, electricity, biogas etc. it needs to be linked to income generating opportunities for women to have better impact of energy access on the women’s livelihood.
 
Awareness on the need for clean energy use is another aspect to be considered while promoting the clean energy use among the community. Sometime while visiting some community we have seen that going to forest to collect firewood with friends are considered as one source of recreation as time have no value to be used in other productive activities and that is the time for women to be away from home and spent some time with friends. So, for such group there is higher need to aware them on the negative impact the firewood burning and indoor air pollution have on their health. Until they are aware it will be difficult for them to change their behavior and switch to clean cooking even if the technology is available in their household. This is just one example from one community especially in the Terai region of the country, there are other many communities in the hills where firewood collection is very difficult. However, it is also very difficult for them to access the technology. Financing might be the opportunity for them to switch. Requirement of the activity intervention will truly differ from one community to another.
 
What is key takeaway from your experiences in the rural development sector?

It is still very challenging for women in South Asian countries like Nepal to land in decision making and leadership positions. It is also equally challenging to work in that position as compared to men. I would say that strengthening networking and support systems among women is vital to help women develop and achieve their career goals, while also encouraging other women to move forward in any sector.  We must remember that the following is also true for energy access:
 
“A bird cannot fly with one wing only. Human space flight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women.” - Valentina Tereshkova

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