1000 hours of solar light for a family in Costa Rica

Protection of indigenous peoples

Improving living conditions through solar energy

Deep in the rainforest, many days' travel from the last road access, lives the indigenous Cabécar population. They are the largest indigenous community in Costa Rica, live from agriculture and self-sufficiency and are isolated from the rest of the country. There is also no access to electricity and light after dark. But this is set to change with the new solar project. A similar project has already been implemented in the indigenous Waorani community of Akaro in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. One of the residents, Karina, talks about nature, her home and the challenges facing the indigenous community. A situation that is similar for many indigenous groups in Latin America. "There are many people who have an interest in our forests and the underlying soil resources. The moment the oil companies arrive and want to use the oil resources, they destroy everything: the rivers, the trees, nature. We can no longer allow this. I am very grateful for the support of the solar project. Above all, I am grateful for my daughters and the benefits for our entire community. With access to solar power, my daughters are able to walk safely at night and study for school,” says Karina.

need

Electricity supply for indigenous communities in the tropical rainforest in the Telire district, Costa Rica.

activity

LOVE FOR LIFE trains indigenous solar technicians in Telire who install and commission the solar systems.

Measurable performance

Number of indigenous families with access to solar energy.

Result

Families can use the electricity to report illegal deforestation. Children can study better for school.

Systemically relevant impact

Improving the living conditions of the indigenous community and enabling effective protection of the tropical rainforest and the rights of the indigenous population.

background

Costa Rica's economic development over the past decades shows that a country's development does not have to be accompanied by increased deforestation (Wehkamp, 2017). The country's forest area increased by 7.5% between 1990 and 2015 (FAO, 2015). At the same time, the country has experienced steady economic growth for more than 25 years, which is well above the Central American average (World Bank, 2018). Nevertheless, there are also individual districts that do not benefit from this development trend. The Telire district is one of these districts and is one of the poorest regions in Costa Rica. The remoteness forces residents to travel seven days each way (i.e. two weeks per trip) on foot through the mountainous jungle to reach the nearest road access and thus the nearest employment opportunities.

The lack of access to electricity in the indigenous communities of the Telire district makes everyday life even more difficult. Food and urgently needed medicines cannot be cooled and stored without access to electricity. Without light, children have little opportunity to study for school and do their homework after the early nightfall. In order to strengthen the holistic and self-determined movement of the indigenous peoples, there is a lack of electricity to supply electrical devices such as cell phones, computers and radios. These are important devices for enabling access to quality education, health and communication.

The good deed

This good deed gives the indigenous community sustainable access to clean solar power. The project also enables them to use technical devices such as GPS devices to map their territories and use the data obtained to protect the rainforest and inform the government about illegal deforestation. In addition to the use of renewable technology, the project also promotes the intensive development and strengthening of local capacities. Solar technicians are trained on site to ensure the long-term maintenance and operation of the systems.

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