Marcel Simok
“Solar Mama” Tarihing Masnim, 52, passed away on August 7 at her village in Kampung Sonsogon Magandai, Kota Marudu, Sabah.
The late Tarihing became the first Solar Mama in Malaysia after she returned from solar technical training in India and brought electricity to her rural village.
Sabah Daily Express reported that Tarihing’s relative Solboy Majidin conveyed the news of her passing.
According to Solboy, husband of the late Tarihing, Juprin Marudin, 60, found her lying on the ground on his way back from the jungle.
“She was no longer breathing when her husband saw her lying on the ground.
“He did not know that she had gone after him as she would usually wait at home,” said Solboy.
The story of Solar Mama
The late Tarihing was a rubber tapper and never received formal education.
Like many other villages in the deep interiors of Sabah, her village is cut off from the outside world.
The village is only accessible with off-road vehicles.
Furthermore, the village does not have electricity as it is not within the electricity grid.
More than 600 villages in Sabah are off the electricity grid.
Thus, growing up without basic amenities has challenged Tarihing and many others in the village.
She and the villagers depend on gasoline lights at night.
Attending Barefoot College
In 2014, Barefoot College founder Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy chanced upon Tarihing through Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professional Association (Swepa) during one of his visits to Sabah.
He handpicked three women to attend the solar panel installation training in Rajashtan, India.
During their training, Solar Mamas learn to build, install and maintain solar panels and batteries to provide a renewable energy source to their communities.
Because most of these women are illiterate, the program uses visual learning tools, like colour-coded pictures and manuals.
Nickname “Solar Mama” will be given to them once they complete their training.
However, two women dropped out because they had to be in India for six months for the training.
Nevertheless, Tarahing braved herself and made her maiden trip overseas to learn about renewable energy.
“If I didn’t go, who else will,” she asked during one of her early interviews.
Tarihing said she often faced difficulty in communication and technical challenges, and most of all missing her family from Sabah.
However, she could not bring herself to see her children studying using gasoline lights.
She completed her 6 months of intensive training successfully in 2015 and became a solar engineer.
Tarihing is the first Solar Mama in Malaysia.
Solar powering the village
Upon returning to the village, she successfully lit up 100 houses by installing solar panels and connecting them to solar lanterns distributed to the households.
Furthermore, she shared her knowledge with other women in the villages and helped them to replicate by bringing electricity to their village.
Swepa started its Barefoot Solar Project in 2013.
“When we wanted to start the program, we did not have to go about it.
“But Bunker Roy sent us all the information, and he personally came down to Sabah,” said SWEPA’s head of community development Datin Jeannette Tambakau.
Tarihing Masanim was the first Solar Mama, followed by Gining Jaineh, Rusni Singkamung and, recently Inggai Suging.
The four Solar Mamas have provided access to sustainable energy for 300 homes in three villages in Kota Marudu, which benefitted around 1,500 villagers.
Today her legacy lives on.
Every time light comes on in her rural and nearby villages, and people will remember the brave woman who took it upon herself to make life better for others.
For more information and photographs of the Swepa Barefoot Solar Project in Kampung Songsogon Magandai, please visit John Kong’s blog.
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