21/12/2018 Partnership, Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, Social & Humanities
In order to advance the quality of education in Papua, UPH’s Electrical Engineering, through the “Yayasan Pendidikan Harapan Papua” (YPHP), provided 5 sets of solar lanterns for lighting for SLH (Sekolah Lentera Harapan) Mamit in Tolikara district.
YPHP, a non-profit foundation engaged in education for children in the hinterland of Papua to strive for the quality of holistic Christian education, welcomed this assistance given the very low access to electricity in this area. Currently, YPHP has facilitated the construction of schools in Papua as many as 6 elementary school units located in unreached areas, such as Mamit, Daboto, Karubaga, and Korupun. There are 1 kindergarten-to-elementary school with 210 students in Mamit itself. Therefore, it is hoped that this assistance can not only be used as lighting, but also for science learning for students in the 6th grade.
The provision of lighting units took place at YPHP office on November 29th, 2018, done by Henri Uranus (head of the UPH’s Electrical Engineering Study Program) and 3 Electrical Engineering students, to the YPHP representative Alexandra Yasa and Nursari Dewi Lugito, the director of YPHP. These lanterns would later be given to the head of the school Mamit, Gerald Sereh.
Henri explained that this solar lantern began with the annual Electro Mega Project, where students were invited to take part in workshop about the making of solar lantern, a simple device using materials such as plastic bottles, lunch boxes, paralon pipes, and power bank.
“With these solar lanterns, children there can be more productive, especially in helping their learning process. In addition, these solar lanterns are safer because they don’t produce dangerous steam. We hope this small gift can have an impact on the lives of the people there. The donated lanterns are only 5 because of some limitations, and we realize that this is still far from the needs,” Henri said.
In the future, YPHP will do a collaboration of UPH’s Electrical Engineering with UPH’s Teachers College in the knowledge of simple solar power technology program, so that the teachers can apply this knowledge in the place where they teach by teaching it and fulfilling this need in their served area. Teachers can practice in making a simple lighting unit, and grow curiosity and desire to learn due to their amazement of new things. ™.
