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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. 
Picture
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.​

PictureVending 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": AN INTERVIEW WITH MINI-GRIDS SUSTAINABILITY EXPERT, RESHA PIYA

5/30/2020

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A 2019 study by IRENA found that women represent about 32% of employees in the renewable energy sector, with far lower representation in STEM jobs compared to administrative jobs.  Despite being few in numbers, women are making important contributions to the sector. We have seen this first-hand in the small-scale hydropower community. From village energy committees, to manufacturing centres, to Board rooms, women are making waves at all levels.

Last year, we launched the Hidden No More feature series to spotlight women change-makers who have transformed gender barriers, and made impactful contributions to energy access for marginalized communities. For this edition, we spoke with Resha Piya, who has nearly 20 years of experience working in the energy access space in Nepal. During our conversation, Ms. Piya shared key solutions for promoting gender inclusion in micro hydropower projects (MHP) and rich insights from her experience supporting MHP sustainability.

PictureResha Piya. Credit: R. Piya
What inspired you to get involved in community development, energy access, and micro hydro work?

​I started my career in the early 2000’s, when I joined Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) in 2001. My inspiration to get involved was mainly due to the disparity I saw between the rural and urban populations. I had observed a huge disparity, mainly in terms of basic amenities; urban people were enjoying many facilities including better electricity, education and health facilities, while the rural poor were deprived of all these basic assets, even energy services. I had seen that rural people were compelled to use kerosene and Jharro  (a common plant in Nepal) for household lighting needs.

Being an electrical engineer, I decided it was best to work in the rural energy sector where I could best contribute my knowledge. With my background in electrical engineering, I understand that electricity is the foundation to any and all development activities, which can drive economic activities in rural areas. I believe that rural people have a right to energy services, as do urban people, and energy services can really improve rural quality of life and address the challenges they are facing.

Initially, I started my career promoting solar home systems in rural areas in my work with AEPC, and later shifted toward focusing on sustainable small-scale hydropower. I realized that only installing the energy infrastructure itself -- providing access to electricity -- is not sufficient, because there is a need to make energy systems more reliable and sustainable. This is very important because if the system stops functioning, this creates a burden to rural communities. This is what I found in the field and it is what inspired me to focus on the micro hydro sector, and specifically micro hydropower (MH) sustainability.  
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"With my background in electrical engineering, I understand that electricity is the foundation to any and all development activities, which can drive economic activities in rural areas."
What inspired you to get involved in community development, energy access, and micro hydro work?

There have been remarkable improvements in the sector since I first started out in the early 2000’s. To date, 2500+ mini/micro/pico hydro systems have been installed with a total capacity of about 36 MW generation of electricity. These systems are distributed around 69 districts of Nepal, providing electricity access to more than 350 households, as well as many rural enterprises and institutions. 

There are around 80 private companies currently working in design, construction and installation of micro/mini hydro plants. In terms of overall job creation, there are more than 7000 people directly employed by the sector. When I started the sector was very small and there were only a few MH companies; after 18 years, there have been lots of changes and improvements in the sector. 

Also, the scope of MH has expanded over the course of my career. Previously, MH was designed only catering for lighting needs of the rural people, but now MH is designed to cater for productive end use (PEU) as well. Nowadays, some MH has also been connected to the national grid.
PictureNishi II micro hydro plant. Credit: R. Piya.
Based on your experience, what are the key ingredients to successful, long-lived micro hydro projects?  Can you share any anecdotes?
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Based on my experience, there are two main ingredients for successful and sustainable implementation of micro hydro. The first is that the MH users committee, who owns the system, must understand that the MH itself is a viable enterprise -- a social business, not a charity. They must understand that they need to sell the maximum amount of electricity that is produced by the plant, instead of throwing it back to the river. If they do so, they can ensure sustainability and generate money for community benefits. 

The second main ingredient is developing an understanding of the connection between electricity and overall community development. That is also very crucial, because people think that the MH is only for household lighting, but this is not true. If there is reliable electricity, this can be used to power the agricultural sector, education sector, health sector, small and medium enterprises, communications and much more. This has to be understood by the users committee.

If they understand these two key things, the users committee will start to adopt other improvements and activities that are required for MH sustainability. However, in the process, since they don’t have much knowledge about how to manage the plant, mentoring and capacity development support is required to make them understand different management aspects for running MH as a successful enterprise.

A good example I can give you is the case of Nishi MHP. The MHP had been experiencing a loss and we intervened to provide capacity development support. We trained the committee on how to manage the plant, treat it as a viable enterprise, sell electricity as a social commodity, and also how to include economically disadvantaged households. Previously, poor people who could not afford the connection charge were not provided with electricity access. We emphasized that even rural poor could be connected if they developed a smart approach, and so they adopted an installment payment system. Additionally, previously this MHP had been shut down due to technical problem for more than six months, and the community was struggling to seek external support to repair the system. Our programme showed them how to earn sufficient revenue to carry out repairs and maintenance. Recently a landslide occurred and it damaged the canal of MH, and the community was able to repair and restart the system within a month, using their own internal resources which they generated through a tariff. 

PictureInteracting with Darna Khola MHP user's committee. Credit: R. Piya.
What triggered you to start focusing on micro hydro sustainability?  How have your perspectives on micro hydro sustainability developed or evolved over time?

Most people understand me more as a solar person, rather than a MH person. As I said earlier, I had never been involved in the installation of MHPs, but I developed expertise in PEU and then MH sustainability.

Early on, our sole focus was encouraging MH users committees to promote PEU, such as small and medium enterprises, to increase the revenue of the MHP. Then, a memorable incident took place in 2014, while I was on a field trip in Darnavillage along Kailash Khola in Achham district, promoting this same concept around PEU. My colleagues and I stopped at a tea shop on the side of the road, where we encountered the chairperson and other members of the users committee of the Darna Khola MHP. After we informally introduced ourselves and shared the purpose of our visit, the chairperson got very angry. He told us, “You people say MH is good for community development, but you are wrong.” He went on to say that they had taken out a loan for the MHP development and now they must sell their property in order to pay it back.  Furthermore, technical problems frequently required a technician to come in from far away, for which the committee had to bear the cost. The MHP was a burden for them.

At that moment, we realized that promoting PEU is not sufficient for ensuring MHP sustainability. PEU is only one component. We saw that we needed to build the capacity of the users committee to help them understand that MHP must be a viable social enterprise. From that day on, my colleague and I started advocating this concept. It was a very new concept at the time and we advocated for our organization to reform policies and allocate funds for this purpose.

The government has since recognized this idea and has allocated funds to support MHPs to improve their business models and operate sustainably. This concept has been implemented in around 25 MHPs and has proven successful. Now these plants are profitable and the communities are capable of managing any problems that arise independently. In addition to the post-installation phase, there is now also more attention and support provided during the planning and installation phases. However, there are over 2500 plants in Nepal and many are underperforming, thus there remain many cases where this support is required.

A lot of time must also be allocated for capacity building to be effective. A single meeting is not sufficient to change peoples’ perspectives. They remember all the difficulties they faced during the installation phase and understand that the electricity cost should be minimal or free. We need to build their understanding of the links between the MHP and other development activities, and highlight how they can profit from it. We usually have 5-6 rounds of capacity building activities, taking a step-wise approach. Activities include first trying to change their perception, then knowledge exchange and field visits to successful MHPs, and training on account keeping and then on market segmentation.

That trip to Darna is also memorable because I fell in the Kailash river! There was no bridge to cross the river. But, the incident was really a turning point for me, in my career. Building the community’s understanding of MH as a sustainable business is very, very important -- if they understand that, they will perform all management aspects in a way that will support sustainability.

PictureResha Piya with MHP staff. Credit: R. Piya.
Have you faced particular challenges as a woman, in the work that you do? If so, how have you overcome these challenges?

I wouldn’t say I’ve faced any major challenges being a woman, in the work that I’ve done. However, sometimes people ask me “being a woman, don’t you face difficulty in doing technical things?”, or, “don't you feel discomfort in travelling alone to remote areas?”. But, I don’t see this as a major challenge; it’s people’s perception and thinking about women. They think that it’s difficult for women to do these things.

Sometimes, because of the nature of what I’m doing, I have to dedicate a lot of time to my work and it can be difficult to achieve a good work-life balance. I am lucky though, because my family totally supports me and encourages me, therefore I can concentrate on my work. However, it’s not the same situation for all women in Nepal.

It does also remain a male dominated sector. Previously, when my work focused on solar, I would frequently be the only woman in a meeting of 50 people. You can therefore imagine what women’s representation looks like in the sector as a whole. It is slowly changing, compared to the earlier days. Now there are women coming into decision making positions, but their representation is still very low.

PictureOn the way to MHP site. Credit: R. Piya.
What roles have you seen women play in micro hydro projects -- both in implementation and also sustainability?  What greater role can they play?  How can we encourage them?

Women’s representation in MH is still very minimal in Nepal. There are hardly 1 or 2 companies that are really run or managed by women and not more than 20 female engineers in the sector as a whole.

Within the development of an MHP project there is a compulsory quota for women to be represented in the users committee, but women’s participation and voice in the committee remains insignificant. From the program side, when we organize capacity building workshops, we specifically say that at least 1 or 2 women participants per MHP is compulsory, but in reality, very few women participate.

I don’t think there is any doubt that women can play a crucial role both in the implementation and sustainability of MHPs. Women can do all the work that men can do related to the MHP; they can develop enabling policies, carry out feasibility studies, design systems, construct and install the plant, manage and operate the system, and start enterprises using the generated electricity. Women’s involvement can occur throughout, from planning, to installation, to use of electricity.

I believe that if women are looked upon as equal members as men in society, that can increase participation in the MHP sector. We need to break the traditional thinking and perception that women are not capable of doing technical work as well as men. Besides that, I think we have to design working environments in such a way that women can participate. For example, the number of women MHP operators is basically negligible compared to the number of men. Why? Because operators have to stay alone day and night at the powerhouse, which poses security threats for women. But, if we could provide an enabling environment -- for instance, allowing families to live at the MH site -- participation of women could increase. Security and safety need to be given high priority.

What impacts do the involvement of women in micro hydro projects bring to the project, to the community, and to the lives of the women involved?

Involvement of women brings many positive impacts to the MHP itself and to the lives of the women who are involved. I have seen these impacts and can say that it will bring a positive change.

Nowadays in rural areas in Nepal, it is difficult to find young men in the communities, as most have gone abroad for employment. Mostly women and the elderly are the only ones in the village. Access to electricity from the MHP can lower women’s burden and save time, as it can mechanize most of the work which usually requires physical labour. There are many examples, such as electric cookstoves and water pumps, which eliminate the need to collect and carry cooking fuel and drinking water.

In addition, reliable electricity access can encourage women to participate in income generating activities. There are lots of examples where AEPC and development organizations have promoted the development of women-owned enterprises. Likewise, powering agriculture (e.g. irrigation pumps) can make women’s lives easier and support them to generate more income. Another key element is powering communication, which enhances women’s knowledge thereby encouraging participation in social and development activities. Powering healthcare, furthermore, improves maternal health by enabling the use of ultrasound systems. Powering education has given opportunities for women and girls to attend online classes, making them more competitive for future job opportunities. Therefore, energy is very crucial to every development-related activity; MHP is very important to the economic development of the community itself, as well as for women’s empowerment.

Moreover, if we empower women to use electricity, this increases MHP revenue. It contributes to the sustainability of the MHP, by supporting sufficient income to cover maintenance and repair costs.

PictureOn the way to MHP site. Credit: R. Piya.
You mentioned that addressing underlying perceptions and facilitating an enabling environment are two ways to promote women’s involvement in MHPs. What are some other solutions that you would propose to address gender-related challenges in the sector?

First, it is important to empower women’s families and male counterparts to understand the importance of women’s participation in the decision-making process. This encourages women to participate and supports their empowerment more broadly. Without the family or husband’s support, it can be very difficult for women to participate in any MHP, development or business activity.

Once their families are empowered, we need to empower women themselves with the capability to participate actively and meaningfully. Sometimes when we ask a woman to join a meeting, she doesn’t understand what the meeting is about or what contribution she can make, and doesn’t have the knowledge to actively participate. Therefore, awareness raising and empowerment activities must be carried out beforehand. Just telling women to participate is not enough.

Additionally, with regard to mentorship activities, it is important to make sure that women are comfortable with the mentor. Sometimes women-to-women connections form faster and, in some societies, women aren’t allowed to interact with external men without the permission of their husband or father (e.g. in some communities in the Terai region). Some women may be comfortable with a male mentor, but we need to understand the situation and the social norms in the community.

When rural women see women participating in this field, I think that this also motivates them to contribute and to work. When they see me in the village, talking about the project, they think, “if she can do it, why can’t I?” This is my perception, at least.

Additionally, when we go to the field, if we don’t see women participating, then we ask why they aren’t there, and we wait for their presence. We always ask people to bring a woman representative to the meetings and training programs. This also encourages women to come out of the house.

"Just telling women to participate is not enough."
How has the global COVID-19 pandemic impacted the communities that you work with?

The pandemic has impacted the micro hydro communities that I’ve worked with, mainly in that the revenue collection has decreased due to non-operation of enterprises. Also, because of the lockdown, customers are not able to travel to the plant to pay their monthly bill.

Additionally, many migrant workers have returned to their villages, having lost their jobs abroad. The positive side of this is that these individuals might start thinking of starting new businesses in the village itself. If they do engage in economic activities in the village, this might increase the health and revenue of the MHP in the long term.
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I mentioned previously about the impact of rural-urban migration on gender relations. With that in mind, there might be an impact in terms of competition between men and women. However, I think that empowerment activities and gender-inclusive programming can add value and enable women to participate equally in the competition process.

What are your hopes for the future of renewable energy and energy access in Nepal?

Recent data from the Nepal electricity authority shows that around 90% of households in Nepal are connected to the national grid, to date. This shows that there are not many households left without access to electricity. Therefore, along with increased access, we must focus on improving the reliability and sustainability of energy supply, as I’m advocating for. For unelectrified off-grid areas, we need to promote decentralized mini-grids and renewable energy technology as an alternative energy service to rural households, enterprises and institutions.

Additionally, last year in FY 2018/19 Nepal imported more than 37% of our electricity from India, spending almost 20 billion Nepalese rupees. Similarly, we imported around 216 billion Nepalese rupees worth of petroleum products last year, including cooking fuel; this import was around 2.2 times more than total national exports. There is evidence that India does unofficial blockades, which results in problems around energy access. Therefore, there is a need to increase the share of renewables in the grid, to reduce dependence on imports and enhance national energy security.

In addition, hydropower generation is increasing in Nepal. It is expected that about 1300 MW of hydroelectricity will be added to the national grid in the coming one years time;  hence, we also need to work on increasing electricity demand in domestic markets, by promoting electric vehicles, electric cooking, powering agriculture, powering tourism, etcetera. If we can do this, while working on cross-border power trade, we can ensure energy security and increase revenue.

What key message would you like to leave our readers with, especially for the next generation of women micro hydro champions?

I think there is no doubt that electricity is the foundation of every development activity, whether it’s agriculture, education or transportation. There are lots of opportunities in the sector, therefore I would like to encourage women to grab these opportunities. Ladies, you can do it, and you can make positive change in the sector, as well as in the livelihoods of the rural people. You can do it if you believe in yourself.

For more insights on MHP sustainability, be sure to check out the third edition of our 2019 webinar series, featuring Resha Piya and other experts: Mini-Grid Sustainability: Transitioning to Social Enterprise for Energy and Economic Development.
 
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"HIDDEN NO MORE" INTERVIEW SERIES: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CHANGE-MAKER, KOTO KISHIDA

12/13/2019

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The Hidden No More feature series was designed to spotlight women change-makers who have transformed gender barriers, and made impactful contributions to energy access for marginalized communities.

For this 4th edition, we reached out to Koto Kishida, former Malaysia Program Manager at Green Empowerment and strong advocate for sustainable rural development. Through this conversation, we gained insight into Koto’s experience as a female leader working at the intersection of energy access and natural resource management. 

Our conversation shed light on watershed protection and enhancement -- an important, yet undervalued, area of micro hydropower (MH), which Koto has been tirelessly working to promote. Koto recognizes that MH incentivizes communities to protect the catchment area ecosystem; by motivating watershed strengthening, micro hydro projects (MHPs) can play a key role in building climate resilience in rural communities. 
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Read on to learn why Koto is committed to promoting environmental conservation in community energy projects, and to gain insight into her journey as a woman energy practitioner.

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Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Koto Kishida. I am a Japanese citizen but have spent the majority of my life in the United States. In the last few years I lived in Malaysian Borneo, first as a volunteer in 2016, and then as the Malaysia Program Manager for Green Empowerment (GE) from 2017-2019. As some of the readers may know, GE is an HPNET Member, a US based NGO that works on rural sustainable development in Latin America and SE Asia. Most of the work GE has done in Malaysian Borneo has been in the area of rural sustainable development focused around energy access. GE has been supporting local NGOs such as PACOS Trust and TONIBUNG to install community based micro-hydro and solar mini-grid projects.
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​How did you start your career?

For most of my professional career, I worked for Oregon State's environmental protection agency, first analysing environmental samples and later working to minimize loss of forest cover and reduce polluted runoff from agricultural and forest land uses to protect water quality through policy and regulations. A large part of my work involved analyzing how much vegetation/forest cover was needed to sufficiently protect the aquatic environment. Having worked on both regulatory and voluntary programs to comply with environmental regulations, I came to understand the critical roles the local communities play in protecting the environment. 

I had traveled to SE Asia in the early 2010's and was drawn to rural communities where people lived traditionally. While traveling I saw rapid development as well as emerging environmental issues. This is when I began having the desire to support local communities who had a more sustainable vision for development in their communities. I reached out to a number of NGOs that worked on environmental issues, with my desire to volunteer during my sabbatical planned in 2016. One of the NGOs I contacted was Green Empowerment. At the time, GE was working with its main partner organization, TONIBUNG, to explore opportunities to access funds for conservation. In 2016 I traveled to Sabah in Malaysian Borneo to develop TONIBUNG's monitoring program as GE's volunteer. 
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During my stay in Malaysian Borneo working with rural communities, I saw the day-to-day as well as long term struggles indigenous people faced there. My main take-away from the experience in Malaysian Borneo was the same as I had learned in Oregon — the success of conservation efforts depended on the local people's desire and ability to continue living in their community in a sustainable manner. There is a need to create a space for the community members to figure out the future they want for themselves. Our only role as practitioners is to facilitate the discussion and provide support as requested by the community. 
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Tell us about your current work in the MH field

I just wrapped up my stay in Malaysian Borneo as the program manager for GE. While there, I supported TONIBUNG in a number of ways, including fundraising, project management, overseeing budget, and advising on organizational structure and policies. While I was able to contribute, I learned so much more from the experience. I will never forget the privilege of having been given a chance to work closely with a number of indigenous-led organizations that are fighting to defend and honor the rights of its people during one of the major shifts in Malaysia's politics. 

In the past few years, TONIBUNG mostly worked with two types of funding sources -- CSR funded solar/micro-hydro hybrid projects with a focus on local social enterprise development, and grant funded micro-hydro projects with an emphasis on climate change mitigation through conservation of forests. 

TONIBUNG has installed 30+ community-based MH systems in Malaysian Borneo since early 2000’s. Based on the insufficient flow during the dry season for some of the communities, TONIBUNG began installing solar and micro-hydro hybrid systems for some of the communities in Malaysian Borneo starting in 2015. Where there is sufficient flow, they still install MH only systems as well. 

TONIBUNG and GE had been able to access funds to build community MH systems by highlighting the inherent conservation values of such projects on the surrounding forest lands. Unlike solar mini-grid projects, MHPs motivate communities to protect their forests as source water. Because intact forest cover can mitigate for the seasonal variability of stream flow, communities have added incentive and tend to keep the forest cover upstream of their MHP intakes. I was able to continue building on their success and continue to bring conservation project funds to finance MHPs. 

I left Malaysian Borneo recently and returned to the US. I hope to continue supporting MH practitioners through research and fundraising, focused on securing dedicated funds for conservation for MHPs for HPNET and GE.
Why is catchment protection and enhancement important in MH projects?

As with GE's Malaysian partner organizations, I have learned that holistic MH projects are inherently better than projects that focus just on constructing infrastructure. There is also an increased need for dedicated funds to prioritize conservation activities for MHP watersheds with communities already experiencing the impact of climate change. Community members in Malaysian Borneo and practitioners from other countries have shared with me that seasonal variability in flow and erosion from land use have had negative impact on operation of MHPs. Intact forest cover creates climate resiliency, could extend flow during the dry season, and can mitigate sedimentation issues. 
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Unfortunately, when conservation is a budget line item, there are many ways for the funds to be spent on other important activities or materials for the project. For almost all of the projects I was involved with, at least a portion of funds set aside for conservation related activities were spent on transportation or construction of RE systems. It has always been important to address watershed management as part of community-based MH projects, and I understand that the need for it is greater than ever.  
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What are some of the key challenges that you've encountered as you've pursued your professional and personal journey to make a difference?

A key challenge I’ve encountered is developing effective ways to demonstrate and communicate the ecological value of MH projects. 

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of certain practices, programs, or strategies, we need to establish the baseline and status of certain metrics. Within the context of community-based MHPs, quantifying ecological benefit of micro-hydro systems requires interest and commitment by the communities to collect data and have them analyzed, dedicated multi-year funding, and discipline/support from NGOs to continue the effort over time. 

Based on my experiences in both Oregon and Malaysian Borneo, I’ve come to understand that agreement and commitment around monitoring don’t come about quickly. For MHPs, it’s difficult to ask people to think beyond construction of the energy system, which is already very challenging. While communities may develop and comply to regulations for watershed protection (e.g. logging is prohibited in the catchment area), documentation is another level of commitment, beyond not breaking the rules. Sustainable restoration initiatives require incentive, such as tangible evidence of the benefits of such activities; evidence requires time and consistent monitoring, which, in turn, requires funding.

There is a difference between passive eco restoration and active watershed strengthening. We can assume that passive restoration results from MHPs in the sense that, if communities are compelled to leave the catchment area alone, the resulting natural progression (i.e. of trees maturing) is a desirable outcome in itself, even if there is no active attempt at ‘enhancement’. If this is not good enough evidence to garner support, we’re stuck; unless we can find a funder who is willing to fund semi-long term monitoring, we won’t be able to attain more specific evidence of the ecological benefit of MHPs. 

That said, this prioritization of quantitative data and scientific methods is a very Westernized approach. Just as international funders may be biased against local actors who lack strong English writing skills, accepting only evaluation standards set by Western funders may prevent indigenous practitioners from accessing funding. So another key challenge I’ve been faced with is this problem of colonialism within international development; there’s a real need to decolonize research methods and develop more inclusive approaches, which place value on indigenous methodologies.
When you think of the words “gender” and “energy” what other words or terms immediately come to mind? 

Opportunity, Leadership, Long Term, Investment

Many of the rural communities that lack energy access are often facing other challenges such as lack of or limited economic opportunity, access to education and health care. There is a need and opportunity to listen to diverse opinions and insights of community members to have the best chance at success. Holistic community energy projects that aim to also address these challenges provide space for the communities to discuss their collective desires and long term goals. 

Our partners in Malaysian Borneo working on energy access projects understand the opportunity these projects provide as an organizing tool for communities and to develop leadership skills. Where the communities embraced the opportunity to build micro-hydro committees that are gender balanced, I saw that they tended to have better management of the MHPs in general, with good documentation. I have also seen some women assume leadership roles within their community beyond the management of the MHPs, such as being a village head or a part of JKKK, village development and security committee. These outcomes are not realized quickly - and community members may not connect the dots and credit the efforts to engage all community members put in many years ago. 
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Even though there are success stories, engaging women during planning meetings and recruiting them to join committees do not always become a priority during project implementation. I attribute this to the capacity of NGOs we work with. Some of the partner organizations we worked with had a limited number of female staff, and the project managers had challenges with the construction of infrastructure alone, such that gender balance was not a major consideration. And I think our local partners value meeting the communities where they are. For cultural reasons or the particular situations that the communities are in, if they do not have female representatives in leadership positions in the MH Committee, that does not mean progress has not been made. 

I did not make a significant impact on addressing the gender issues while working with TONIBUNG, other than some isolated successes. I have tried to understand the reasons why certain jobs are filled by men only, and challenges women face at the workplace, in order to understand my priorities for how to address these challenges. For TONIBUNG, I encouraged their staff to be inclusive of women when working with communities, and questioned their sexist comments or jokes when I heard them. I also participate in groups and discussions with others who raise gender issues, and promote local and indigenous women to speak at professional conferences. ​
What are some of the solutions that you feel could be employed to address the gender challenges in the sector?

My hope for energy sector organizations is to evaluate their operation and understand the reasons if and why men dominate their workplace, and think of ways to address those root causes. Most likely training should be provided to all staff so there is a mutual understanding around what is considered sexual harassment, gender bias, and unacceptable behavior within the organization. Without these understandings and willingness by the organization to commit to these policies, it would be difficult for women to thrive in any organization. ​
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As far as working with communities, as I mentioned earlier, GE’s partner organizations such as PACOS Trust and TONIBUNG already understand the value of engaging women and youths. In addition to working with the elders and men who tend to be in leadership positions more often, they make an effort to engage all community members when working on a community project. As a non-indigenous, non-local practitioner, I try to be careful especially in communities as not to overstep my place as an outsider with limited understanding and experience of the local context. As much as I would like the best outcome for the communities, I do not want to force my agenda or values. Rather, while I am in the communities I fold in success stories with female leadership in conversation, and definitely make a point of spending more time with women outside of formal meetings and work parties to build relationships, but mainly to listen to what’s on their minds. Even though my time in the communities is limited, it gives me a sense of what’s important for the women. 


To a room full of young women and men, what key message would you want them to remember? Any advice?

For men, I would encourage them to check their gut feelings and thoughts for potential biases. If they find themselves doubting opinions of their female colleagues or community members, I would like them to consider what if the idea came from someone else, perhaps a male colleague. Would their gut feelings or opinions be the same? Rather than shutting down ideas, I would challenge them to fully explore their female colleagues' ideas. 

For women, I would encourage them to support their own ideas and opinions, even if their colleagues are dismissive of their ideas. I would also encourage them to seek a supportive peer group outside of their organization but still within the energy sector. I think this is a good survival strategy in any sector. 

For Western, non-indigenous men and women entering the sector, I would encourage them to consider what biases, expectations or assumptions they may carry with them as they enter unfamiliar contexts. It is important to continuously reflect on your positionality and centre local voices, in order to build healthy relationships and successful community development projects.
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NEPAL:  FIELD RESEARCH ON WOMEN AND MICRO HYDRO

11/15/2019

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Involving women in micro-hydro projects (MHPs) is important, not only for empowering the women via access to energy, but also for the sustainability of the MHP, as it taps into one of the core beneficiaries -- women, who were previously left out. 
In collaboration with HPNET and the UNDP Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihoods (RERL) project at the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) in Nepal, my research looked at a MHP where gender mainstreaming was done around 22 years ago and analyzed the impact of gender mainstreaming on the MHP. The findings included that women’s involvement in the MHP could be restricted by prevalent gender roles, as well as by the technical design or malpractice. The findings also revealed that encouraging women-led productive use of electricity should be accompanied by other infrastructure such as access to markets, finance, roads, etc.

​Stay tuned for a report where the findings will be presented in detail.


I would like to thank HPNET for helping to identify the appropriate case study and also forming the necessary contacts. HPNET has also been helpful in shaping this study by providing continuous feedback.


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By HPNET member Ranisha Basnet
basnetranisha@gmail.com
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Ranisha is currently pursuing her master’s degree in “Renewable energy engineering management” at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany.
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"HIDDEN NO MORE" INTERVIEW SERIES:  PHILIPPINES CHANGE-MAKER, MS. JADE ANGNGALAO

10/3/2019

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Earlier this year we launched the Hidden No More feature series to spotlight women change-makers who have transformed gender barriers, and made significant contributions to energy access for marginalized communities.

In this 3rd edition, in honor of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples earlier this Quarter, we’re excited to feature Ms. Jade Angngalao, an accomplished indigenous community leader who is a coordinator for community-based micro hydro in the Philippines. We had the opportunity to connect with Ms. Jade and gain insight into her inspiring journey and vision.

PictureCoordinator at SIBAT, Jade Angngalao (left), and her mentee, Benazir Bacala (right). Credit: HPNET
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I have been involved in community development work for 9 years. For the past 2 years I have been Coordinator of the Renewable Energy Program at Sibol Ng Agham At Teknolohiya (SIBAT). I am a member of the Kalinga tribe, from a mountainous area in the North of the Philippines. I am also a mother of two daughters (which poses a challenge in terms of balancing and prioritizing my different responsibilities). 

What motivated you to work in the field of energy access?

I first became aware of micro hydropower (MH) when SIBAT implemented an MHP in my hometown. Previously we didn’t have electricity access, since the electric co-op (the main grid provider) did not reach our town. My father was the one who led the community to participate in the construction of our village micro hydro system. As a young person, I was also involved in building the system, for example, by helping to transport sand.

When the MHP was being constructed, I was also studying Agricultural Engineering at Kalinga State University, and working part-time at the Affiliated RE Centre (a university research centre). When one of the engineers heard of my studies, he suggested that I apply to work with SIBAT after graduating.

For my thesis, I decided to evaluate and report on the sustainability of MHPs in the North. My findings were that most of the systems were no longer operational and there were no plans to repair them. After being implemented, most systems were handed over to the local communities; the communities used the systems for about 5 years before most became non-operational. In most cases, the local MH operator had damaged, or was unable to maintain the system as a result of inadequate training and a lack of proper capacity building. I created a report to give to the Department of Agriculture; however, repairing the MHPs was not a priority, as solar home system were the focus, at the time. I felt that it was a waste of money to build MH systems in very remote communities and then leave them without any support for maintenance and management.

This experience motivated me to work on building communities’ capacity to sustain their MH, rather than leaving them without support, post-construction. I was driven to implement capacity-building measures such as training on maintenance and management, in order for MH communities to become independent and for community-based projects to operate sustainably. Most of the existing systems in my region were based on old designs which required a lot of maintenance. I saw a need for these systems to be upgraded, to give the villages quality electricity, and to improve local management and system sustainability.


How did you start your career with SIBAT?

I was hired by SIBAT in 2010 as part of the technical staff working in potable water and irrigation systems, in remote sites in Mindanao. The sites were so remote that it took two days to reach most of them (and we had to carry our own food along the way). This is when I saw the vulnerable situation of the villages in these areas. There were very high rates of poverty, with many families eating just one meal per day. The villages were deprived of basic social services, with no formal education, health care, clean source of water, or electricity - no government support whatsoever. 

This was when I promised myself to continue to work to help the communities there. I felt a kinship with the local people, because I also belong to an indigenous tribe, and had faced a similar reality growing up. These were ‘my people’ and I wanted them to experience the benefits of MH that were felt in my own community.

The irrigation project I was initially working on did not materialize because of the remoteness of the community - 15 hours were needed to walk there and it was very difficult to bring in materials, and also to mobilize the people. In any case, I think it would make more sense to give local training on agricultural techniques before focusing on irrigation projects. Subsequently, I was involved in a solar water project in the southern part of Luzon, before I took part in any MHP work. It was quite difficult starting out and, after three years, I almost quit my job. However, I stayed because I was passionate about the work and was encouraged by some individuals.


What sort of challenges did you face?

I nearly quit my job because some of my seniors expected too much of me. As the youngest team member, I was expected to be full of ideas, gutsy and energetic, but I have my limitations, of course. The program was also dominated by men. As the only woman in the group, I was often the centre of jokes, which were sometimes very offensive.

My senior, Chris Alfonso, encouraged me. He was a SIBAT engineer who had played a big role in the capacity-building of the SIBAT team. He mentored me in potable water and irrigation and I learned a lot from him.  His life was short-lived, but we will always be grateful for his mentorship and his vision for SIBAT’s Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology (CREATech), where we now manufacture micro hydro turbines and electronic load controllers.

Tell us about your current work in the MH field.

Currently, I’m working as a coordinator, delegating the team, which is a challenge because the staff is still dominated by men. Lately, I have also been frustrated because we frequently hire an engineer, and invest time and money in training him, only to find that he resigns very soon after starting. They often complain about the small salary or they’re unable to adjust to the culture in the communities where they’re placed. Indigenous communities have a different culture from low-land culture, where these engineers come from. I’ve been encouraging management to hire local, indigenous engineers, who wouldn’t face the same problems around cultural adjustment. 

For NGOs that don’t offer large salaries to their engineers, I recommend orienting new engineers to help them understand and adapt to the situation in the communities where they will be working. This can help improve retainment of young engineers.

Community work is very challenging and frustrating at times, but I always tell the staff that they should try to go deeper in developing their understanding of the community.


How do you involve women in your MH work?

When I work in indigenous communities, I have an advantage because I am indigenous myself. This allows me to assert myself in order to include women in decision-making and encourage them to voice their concerns, especially in meetings. Men listen to our opinions and our input is valued and respected. 

I believe that women can be the role models to lead people’s organizations. Three of the MHPs I’ve worked on are led by chair-women, and the strong management of the female leaders is reflected in better reporting and book-keeping. 

There are still many areas for improvement. For example, in my province, the division of labour is still such that women must do all the household chores and men must provide for the family. When I was starting out in my career, whenever we went to the field, my male seniors would tell me to do the household chores, like cooking. I was proactive in telling management when this happened, but it was difficult. Sometimes I ended up staying back with the community rather than going with my team members, when I couldn’t tolerate being the centre of their jokes.

Yet, I conquered. After years passed, I learned how to fight back and speak out. I resisted until I gained their respect (which took about 5 or 6 years).


What advice do you have for other organizations? 

First, you should always include women in decision-making in MH projects. If I had my own organization, I would prefer for it to be dominated by women, primarily because women often have a more holistic approach to community projects.

Additionally, gender awareness and inclusion should start at the internal level, in the organization itself, before any attempt to facilitate it in the community. Gender orientation is included in SIBAT programs on paper, but not in practice. I tell my colleagues we should run gender workshops to teach men how to value and respect women. As an indigenous woman, It’s natural for me to promote this, but I want to see more engagement from others, so that real change will happen. 

As for female engineers, my advice is that you should speak up and voice your opinion, don’t be shy!


What is the impact of MH that you have you seen since you started out?

MH has changed many lives in the Philippines. I’ve seen the changes directly in my own village. Before the MHP was installed, we spent a lot of time pounding rice and corn; normally women were the ones doing this work, including the younger generation who would help their mothers and aunties. My mother spent a lot of time doing manual pounding, and I used to help her after school. 

It took 4 days of manual pounding for 10-15 kg of rice! In some villages, they had to do this every day. Corn would take 6 hours to pound per day, for just 8mkgs - which would take just 1 hour with a machine (and no labour except for transport). By providing power for rice and corn milling machines, the MHP made life a lot easier for us and saved a lot of time, particularly for women and girls. 
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River in Tubo, a Micro Hydro community in Abra Kili province. Credit: B. Bacala
I heard that your grandmother was an activist?

Yes, my grandmother was a fierce lady and a strong activist for Indienous rights. She was once featured on National Indigenous Women’s Day by the Cordillera Women’s Education and Research Centre (CWERC). She fought against big geothermal and mining companies in my village. Some of the engineers from a geothermal company installed a system near my grandmother’s rice field. She was very angry and led the community in pulling out the post. She told the engineer, “when you come back, we’re going to kill you; you’re invading out land”. 

Is it common for Indigenous women in your tribe to be so strong?

It isn’t really that common now – that’s the problem. My grandmother is no longer there to fight for indigenous land rights and a geothermal company is trying to come again to hold a meeting in the village. Now, there are no women opposing it. 

My grandmother got her strength through her genes. She was one of many of my ancestors to fight for our rights. If I go back to my village, I will be the one to lead the movement against the geothermal plant.


It looks like you are mentoring the next generation of MH and agriculture engineers, and they are women! What wish or message do you have for the next generation of MH women practitioners?

Yes, I’ve been supporting a younger engineer and friend, Ms. Bena, to learn how to adapt in indigenous communities. I have also brought my daughters with me to one of SIBAT’s sites to show them my work and to help them understand why I’m sometimes gone for two or three weeks. This also exposes them to the situation of the children there, who are less fortunate. My message to young women MH practitioners would be to appreciate and value their work.

Are there any key messages you have for our readers?
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When you are doing community-based MH work, the women should be the first people you try to influence, before the men. This is because the women can lead the men in systemized implementation of the MHP. That is what I’ve learned through my 9 years at SIBAT.

I encourage all women to stay determined and to leave your mark, the way my grandmother did.

Finally, you should be happy with whatever work you are doing; if you’re happy in your job, that is more important than money.

For more journeys of women micro hydro practitioners in our Hidden No More  series, please sign up below to receive our newsletter!  ​
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PAKISTAN:  EVOLUTION TO INCLUSIVE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

9/30/2019

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This quarter, HPNET has sought to shed light on the linkage between inclusive local social enterprise and mini-grid sustainability. Based on collective research and lessons-learned within the Network, it has become evident that local social enterprise is critical for sustaining hydro mini-grids over the long-term. Moreover, an inclusive, women-centric approach should be implemented in order to improve sustainability and maximize social impact. 

To facilitate a closer look at the far-reaching benefits of an inclusive, enterprise-based model, we reached out to Mr. Meherban Khan, Coordinator of Electric Utilities at the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme  (AKRSP) and HPNET's Board of Representative member for Pakistan.

Based in Pakistan, AKRSP is a project of the Aga Khan Foundation, which is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). In the following article, Meherban sheds light on AKRSP’s participatory, multi-faceted approach to development, providing insight into the Programme’s success in developing women-led social enterprise.

Overview

ARKSP’s work on hydropower began in 1986 with a research and demonstration programme that resulted in engagement in the hydropower sector in the 1990s with micro and mini hydropower plants (MHPs) between 25 and 300 kW providing electricity for lighting. The major focus of AKRSP’s MHP engagement was directed towards the peripheral off-grid areas of Chitral where the community demand had been greatest. Besides improved quality of life and health, and increasing savings with the MHPs, AKRSP targets poverty alleviation through the establishment of organizational, managerial and technical skills as well as through improving options to generate capital. Up to 2010, AKRSP had constructed 225 micro- and mini-hydro projects (177 in Chitral, 48 in Gilgit-Baltistan) with capacities up to 800 kW and a cumulative capacity of 16.4 MW. Out of the 177 units in Chitral, 147 are still functional. For its efforts in regard to community based MHPs, AKRSP has repeatedly gained international attention and awards. 

Chitral District in Northern Pakistan

District Chitral has the lowest population density of 25 people/ km2  in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPK).  It is composed of a wide variety of ethnic groups. These include Chitrali (or Khowar), Pashtuns, and other ethno-religious minorities such as the Kalash. 

Chitral is the most linguistically diverse area of Pakistan and more than 10 languages are spoken in the district in 35 major valleys. About 35 % of the families live in Pacca (brick) houses of which some 30% have access to electricity and piped water, predominantly in the few main towns of the District.  90% of the population lives in rural settings with an average household of 8 persons.
Most of the population lives in the southern Union Councils where the natural conditions and the natural resources (forests, arable lands in the valleys, irrigation infrastructure) are the best. In the northern Union Councils and more mountainous valleys, natural resources are scarce and limited to vast shrub pastures and small plots in the valleys for agri-/horticulture.  In these areas, livestock including a few local sheep and goat breeds, is important for the subsistence households. But due to remote location and limited development interventions, opportunities for diversifying subsistence farming and linked livelihoods are almost negligible. This makes them extremely vulnerable to external stresses by natural hazards or socio-economic instability.

Evolution to Social Enterprise

Over time, the MH projects implemented by AKRSP have grown in size and impact. Initially,  systems were relatively small, providing electricity solely for lighting and small appliances, and often operating only for night-time use. Today, much larger systems are being implemented, with implications for community development that go beyond basic electrification. This development is the result of a decision to shift to a community enterprise approach.

The community-based mini hydropower utility companies (CBMHPUCs) can be understood as “community enterprises” with both commercial as well as social aims and objectives, i.e. “to create sustainable wealth for the community; and to create social benefit for the community”. This means to deliver fairly priced quality services in a sector that neither the public nor other private sector covers. In comparison to other models (e.g. trusts and co-operatives) the organizational functions and operating style are driven by business methods and practices. Furthermore, its regulatory and other reporting requirements are more robust. Thus they distinguish themselves from the otherwise rather informal operating patterns of community-based organizations or maintenance committees mostly applied in regard to micro and small MHPs. Nonetheless, the central feature of the CBMHPUCs set up by AKRSP remains the same as with other community-based organizations: they are basically owned and controlled by people who live in a defined locality, who constitute a community of interest and who, in this case, may share the rights over the water used for the electricity generation. 

The new approach of AKRSP for formation and regulation of the community based Utility Companies in Hydro power is to register with Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) under Companies Ordinance (1984). The objective of the CBMHPUCs is “to establish a financially viable and sustainable hydro power business by providing affordable and reliable electricity with improved service quality and profitability”.

Three of the main CBMHPUCs designed with this new enterprise-based approach approach are CBMHPUC Yadgarh (800 kW), Shandur (500 kW) and Ozhor (500 kW). These plants have been operational since January 2017 and were designed to provide enterprise opportunities for small industries and to eradicate poverty. The CBMHPUC Yadgarh was initially planned to cover some 14 settlements, which by now has increased to 17, with some 1127 households or 8404 people to be serviced. The CBMHPUC Shandur covers three villages or 16 settlements and some 854 to 1161 households or around 6,043 people.12 CBMHPUC Ozhor covers some 21 settlements and 1200 households or 9208 people (see table 1). The electricity generated through the MHPs is distributed via village-scale mini-grids.


​Inclusive Ownership:  How it Works

The MHPs were established through hybrid financing, i.e. a combination of “donor model” and “cash model”. The costs for large parts (including the technology, T&D system) were covered by donor money – in the case of the CBMHPUC Yadgarh and CBMHPUC Shandur, from the Swiss Development Corporation (SDC), and in case of the CBMHPUC Ozhor from the PPAF. This was complemented by equity from AKRSP and the communities. Community households contributed between PKR 6000 and 9000 and the minimum contributions per community were set at PKR 10 Mil. for each project. With the transformation of the units into public limited companies, the initial investments of the community members were converted into shares and transferred on individual persons. The value of 1 share was set at 100 rupees.

Accordingly, the CBMHPUCs still follow the “cooperative model” in the sense that the community members (partially) own the MHP.  Now each CBMHPUC has between 1000 and 1600 shareholders from the community. 

Micro Hydro Success Cases

Case Study 1 - Electricity Utilization
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Ms. Amina Sher using electric cook stove. Credit: AKRSP
Ms. Amina, wife of Babu Sher,  listed electrical appliances in her household, explaining that“in my household we use electric oven, heater for cooking, electric geyser, iron and TV regularly using MHP Power”. 

Before the new MHP became operational Ms. Amina and her family were using electricity solely for lighting purposes, and were paying Rs.300 fix bill. But now they are using many electrical appliances and are paying the average Rs. 500 amount.  

In summer season Ms. Amina’s average monthly electricity bill is 250 while in winter season the bill goes up to 500 due to increased use of geyser. However this bill amount is negligible as compared to the electricity usage and facilities she is availing. Ms. Amina stated that “this electricity has saved our time and lessened our work burden, and has created ease particularly for women in the area”. To the question “how” she explained that whenever she wants to cook bread, she t urns on the oven, puts bread in for cooking and does other household work she has to do. When she comes back after completing other household work she finds ready bread in the oven. Secondly, due to electricity access Ms. Amina’s community has an opportunity for small scale business that was not available before. She explained that, overall, energy access improved their standard of living and reduced poverty. ​

Case Study 2 - The Blacksmith
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Blacksmith Muhammad Nasir. Credit: AKRSP
Thirty years old Muhammad Nasir is the eldest son in his family and is a resident of Raman Laspur. He is living with his father, mother, 3 brothers, a daughter and a son. His son is a student in CBS School in a playgroup class. 

His father is pensioner in Chitral Scout.is one younger brother is in the army and the other is in Chitral Scout. His youngest brother is doing labour work. 
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Before Muhammad was going to other districts for labour work, but when AKRSP started construction of MHP in the area, his father asked him to come home. When he came home, his father sent him to Gilgit to learn some skills; Muhammad got training on stove making, tool sharpening and welding. 

When the new MHP became operational he came to the village of Raman and opened a shop where he started welding, stove making and tool sharpening. Muhammad sells his one stove at Rs. 3500 and sharpens one tool at Rs. 50. He said “I feel very satisfied and happy about my profession and what my father has decided for me”.
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With his earnings, he buys all the raw materials like welding rods, sheet teen and coal for heating up different tools in forge. In the start he was using a manual method for blowing coals in the furnace, but now he has bought an electric blower and electric wheel sharpening stone. 
With his income, he also pays his son’s school fees and helps his father in buying food and other necessities. After deducting all the expenses, he is getting net profit of Rs. 8000. Muhammad is also providing job opportunities for the unemployed in this area. He said due to electricity access, our standard of living improved and we can see that poverty is reducing gradually. 

Social Inclusion

One of the basic rationales for rural electrification is that it enables households to switch from lower quality and especially from carbon-based fuels such as fossil and bio-fuels to electricity for various energy services. This switch is expected to generate a range of social, environmental and economic benefits, not least if the electricity stems from renewable energy sources. Essentially, benefits from rural electrification through renewable energy resources are obvious. Common links between (renewable) energy use and  components of poverty are beneficial effects on health, education, the environment and income. 

For example, the use of electricity may lead to health benefits, such as reduced exposure to hazardous pollutants and reduced air pollution; eliminating drudgery associated with collecting fire wood may improve the health condition, above all of women and children who most often carry out this task; access to electricity may enable vaccination and temperature-adequate medicine storage (through refrigerators). 

The use of electricity may also involve educational benefits, by reducing drudgery and thereby freeing up time for study: enhanced lighting can enable to studying at night; furthermore, electricity may also assist to narrow the digital divide through Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). 

Environmental benefits may encompass a reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels and biomass; reduced use of wood for fuel may lead to a mitigation of deforestation; application of renewable energy promotes climate protection.

Lastly, income benefits may mean, among others, increased productivity and profitability of agricultural methods leading to better farm/household revenues; enterprise development through electrification can create jobs; mechanization in industry can lead to higher productivity and lower consumption costs; small-scale energy systems in rural areas may generate local industry or enterprises; the use of more efficient electric appliances.  

Women-Centric Approach

The typical workload of women in the Chitral region is extreme. Apart from caring for the children and the households, they look after the animals and assist their husbands in crop husbandry. If collecting firewood is substituted by an electric oven women may save 1 h/day; if washing is electrified (eventually in a village bath and washing house) they may serve 1- 2 hrs/day; and if wool weaving is outsourced to a collective unit, they may save up to 3 hrs/day. With some electrical appliances in the households for cooking, for heating/cooling (which could be facilitated by some better insulation of 1 – 2 rooms or refrigerators) and for home maintenance, as well as collective ventures for women in washing and ironing, weaving or of processing of milk and gardening products etc. the women’s workload can be considerably reduced.Moreover, saved hours in the household could be used for improved education and socio-political activities (which AKRSP investigates & supports in MH projects).

Most importantly, women will receive equal benefit from the project in terms of dividend, they will be part of the governing body and involved in decision making (i.e tariff designing, investment plan, etc). In AKRSP supported projects, women are involved as investors, shareholders and owners of the plant.​
More information can be found in AKRSP's recently released video on micro hydropower in Chitral:

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Guest blog post written by Mr. Meherban Khan, Coordinator for Utility Companies - Hydro Power Development at Aga Khan Rural Support Program and HPNET Board of Representative member for Pakistan.

He can be reached at meherbanakrsp@gmail.com or meherban@akrsp.org.pk.



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"HIDDEN NO MORE" INTERVIEW SERIES: NEPAL CHANGE-MAKER, SRIJANA THAPA

7/22/2019

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To commemorate International Women's Day this year, we launched the Hidden No More feature series to spotlight women change-makers who have transformed gender barriers, and made significant contributions to energy access for marginalized communities.

​We are excited to feature our second change-maker -- Ms. SriJana Thapa, a grassroots coordinator for micro hydro development in Nepal.  Ranisha Basnet of energypedia UG took the opportunity to speak with Srijana to understand her experiences in the gender-energy nexus.  Read below!
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Srijana Thapa, Team Lead, Renewable Energy Program at DCRDC, Nepal.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Srijana Thapa and I am the Team Leader at the Dhaulagiri Community Resources Development Centre (DCRDC). DCRDC is a social organization based in Baglung district in Nepal. I have a bachelor's degree in Social Science and Humanities from the Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

How did you start your career?

Since early 2000, I have been involved in various community development projects at DCRDC. In 2002, I worked as a coordinator for the Women’s Empowerment Program and then in 2006 became the Team Leader of the Renewable Energy Program, which includes all forms of decentralized renewable energy (such as solar and biogas), but we focus primarily on micro hydropower (MH).

Tell us about your current work in the MHP field?

As a Team Leader, I, along with my team, am involved in social mobilization, MH demand collection, user community formation and in raising awareness about the subsidy program for MH.

How has the MH scenario changed since you started in 2006?

In 2006, there was no infrastructure such as roads in the target villages. The villagers also did not have the funds to pay for the initial installation of the MH systems and would have to take credits. They would then need 3-4 years to pay off the credit. The mechanical and electrical equipment were transported by either men or animals such as mules to the MHP sites. Thus, it would take longer and was more expensive to construct micro hydro projects (MHPs). Similarly, there was very little demand for electricity from the MHPs. For example: for a 25 kW MH system, only 10 kW would be used, as there were no or fewer productive end use activities. 

In recent years, these villages are being developed and have infrastructure such as roads. Now, there are also more donors who provide funds for the initial construction of the MHPs such as the Rural Municipality/Municipalities/Irrigation Office. Access to roads have enabled new productive end uses activities and ensured that the electricity load is not wasted. Nevertheless, the national grid is expanding to the rural villages and the MH systems will have to be connected to the national grid to ensure the long-term sustainability of the MHPs. We should also focus on promoting more productive activities instead of building new MH plants.

Tell us about the women empowerment program within your organization?

Earlier in 2006, gender empowerment and social inclusion (GESI) was not the focal point of our program, but since 2013 we have been actively promoting women empowerment programs. As part of the GESI program, women are trained as MH system operators and receive trainings for different skills such as accounting, leadership, and business. In our MHP user communities, the treasury is also always handled by the women. The government also provides subsidies for women-led businesses, which have helped to promote women’s participation. Currently, there are different women-led businesses such as a mineral water factory, beauty parlor, bakery, tailoring etc.

In the earlier days, it was really hard to involve women as they were very shy and hesitant. During the community mobilization, we always involved the key persons of the village to convince them about the need for women’s participation in the MHPs. This helped us to increase women’s participation in our MHPs.

Tell us about your challenges as a woman hydro practitioner?

As a Team Leader, I did not face many difficulties. The villagers always welcomed us during the field visit. I also had the opportunity to work with a great team that supported me a lot.  The only challenge was traveling long distances to reach the MH powerhouse, which I personally found  physically exhausting.
 
What kind of change did you observe in the MH community in the last 10 years?

In the last 10 years, a lot has changed. For example: our MHP sites now have access to roads. Many micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are now using the electricity from the MHPs. This has resulted in an increase in income, people are self-employed, and this has drastically changed the rural livelihood. The people also have access to communication devices such as television and mobile phones. The clean electricity from the MHPs have replaced the polluting kerosene lamps. This has resulted in improved health condition for women, saved time and the children are also able to study at night.

Previously, the women had to mill the grains manually but now with the arrival of electricity, it has reduced the burden on the women. Since most of the men migrate overseas or to cities for work, women are now mostly involved in productive end use activities. These women entrepreneurs are also inspiring other women to start their own businesses. 

Would you like to share any final thoughts for our readers?

When we are working with the community, no matter how qualified we are, we always have to follow the bottom-up approach. We need to first know the community and their needs and not impose what we believe is the right strategy. Every day, I am learning something new from the community and I believe I still have a long way to go.

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THE GENDER-ENERGY NEXUS: INCREASING WOMEN LEADERSHIP LEADS TO LONGER-LIVED HYDRO MINI-GRIDS

7/8/2019

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Last month, I had the opportunity to talk about the gender and energy nexus at the Asia Clean Energy Forum 2019.  My talk was based on the experiences of incorporating gender into the micro hydropower projects (MHPs) of the UNDP Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihoods (RERL) project at the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) in Nepal and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) in Pakistan.

Both Nepal and Pakistan have a rich history of MHPs -- with over 3000 projects in Nepal and over 1000 projects in Pakistan. Therefore, the countries make for good cases to look at how we could involve women in the MHPs to not only empower women but also to contribute towards the financial sustainability of the mini-grids.​
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​​When we talk about gender and energy nexus, we find a lot of papers and discussions that circle around household energy. It does make sense as energy-poverty in households is commonly gender-biased, with women mostly gathering the firewood and cooking on smoky fireplaces and men having relatively easier and more access to resources such as land, credit, and education. This access to resources also supports their position as the decision-maker of the family. Similarly, when new electrical appliances are bought, they are designed to meet the demands of the men, although women are the ones doing most of the labor-intensive chores in the household. Nevertheless, apart from household energy, another important aspect is the productive activities of women. When we look at the MHPs in Nepal and Pakistan, one of the biggest challenges is the lack of cost recovery tariff and low load factor. To tackle this challenge, it is important to recognize the productive activities of women and integrate them as potential customers. Also, promoting women-led productive activities provides an additional stream of income for MHPs – ultimately resulting in sustainability of the MHPs. 

Looking at the MH projects from a gender lens, we see that women are already involved in energy projects: during the construction phase, they supply the required physical labor and during the post-installation phase, women are represented in the MHP communities but mostly as token women. They oftentimes have no decision-making authority and the productive end use activities are also mostly owned by men. So, it is clear that women are already involved as of now, but the question is how to involve them further so that it benefits the projects financially and also empowers the women. Based on the experiences from Nepal and Pakistan the following ways are proposed.
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Knowledge Empowerment of Women: Apart from the physical labor, women should also be consulted for their resource knowledge. For example, women are better able to tell when the water level is high or low in their village and also know about their forest, land, local customs, etc. Involving women in MHP planning also empowers them as they see that their knowledge is valued. In countries like Nepal where there is a high outflux of men and youths to cities and abroad for work, training women as operators ensures that your trained manpower stays in the MHP site. This reduces the cost of training the operators again and again. In Pakistan, experiences showed that when women are involved in MHP activities like running the loading center or tariff collection, there are less absences as compared to men. The customers also appreciated the fact that women were more reliable and accountable as compared to men.

Women Ownership of the MHP – In Pakistan, women are the shareholders of the MH system. After involving women as shareholders, it was observed that women were more accountable for the MH plant. For example, they would take initiative for the repair and maintenance of the MHP, which was previously lacking. As a board member, they were also involved in tariff setting and paid special attention to making MH tariff affordable for other female entrepreneurs. 
Therefore, involving women increases their accountability towards the MHP and also leads to better and more inclusive management – ultimately leading to sustainable MHPs. 

Women-Owned Productive End Uses (PEU) - The Government of Nepal provides a subsidy to every female-owned business. This has encouraged women to run their own businesses in Nepal. Currently out of 2500 PEU, 474 are owned by women. Also training such as bookkeeping and management is provided to help them run the business.  In Pakistan specific productive end use training is provided to women such as sewing, jam making, milk seller, freezer facilities and carpenter. This helps to boost their confidence as well as their household income. 
Gender integration is a gradual process and will not happen overnight. The MHP implementation and operation & maintenance are dominated by men and the work itself is seen as men’s department. This hinders the participation of women, especially in terms of involving women into the operation of the MHPs. The prevailing gender norms in South Asia also make it difficult to ensure equal participation of women. The powerhouses in many cases are located in rural far-off sites which makes it difficult for women to travel, due to security issues. Thus, it is necessary to dive deeper into these issues and design specialized solutions for each case. Also, it might be difficult to involve women in the beginning, but experiences have shown that when people see empowered women, more women are inspired to follow suit. Therefore, gender integration should be treated like a long-term process and not a checklist on the MHP installation.
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By HPNET member Ranisha Basnet
basnetranisha@gmail.com
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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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