24-hour energy, the dream of the indigenous people of Guaviare that became a reality

The plant that Minminas installed in Guaviare has 1,323 solar panels and a power of 701 KWp that benefits 710 families in the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, La Esperanza, La Guarapa, La Hacienda, La Milagrosa, La Ye, Mate Guadua Alto and the sector. urban with 24-hour energy; For the beneficiaries, it is not only a technological advance, but also a symbol of hope and progress to continue weaving their dreams.

The story of María Medellín with her sewing machine and loom that must be told

For many years, Maria Medellin had to sew, knit and do everything she had to do by candlelight. When night fell, she and the other members of her community in Guaviare had to put an end to their work. Today, if she wanted to, Maria can knit all day long. For the past couple of months, she has had electricity 24 hours a day thanks to more than a thousand solar panels installed by the Ministry of Mines and Energy under the energy communities program.

The inhabitants of Miraflores and the surrounding villages no longer speak of the violence they lived with during the 80s and 90s, when the paramilitaries and the extinct Farc fought over the municipality with bullets. Although there are still wounds and in the mountains of Guaviare some armed rebels continue to rule and grow coca, the majority of the 6,000 inhabitants of the municipality want to tell other stories.

The plant has 1,323 solar panels and a power of 701K Wp, benefiting 710 families

Among the multitude of people from this hidden region in the jungles of southern Colombia is María Medellín. She, who also experienced the violence of the municipality first hand, became an artisan leader, with the sole intention of changing her history, that of her people and that of the municipality with the work of her hands and of other women who, together with her, manage to show the true essence of Miraflores with their crafts.

To achieve their goals, including preserving ancestral traditions, María Medellín and a handful of women set out to create an association where they could work as a team and strengthen their skills with their hands and threads. They called it Missipi. There they bring together the talent of the region’s artisans, whose name evokes the very essence of the community. “Missipi means basket of Yaré or Bejuco. Here nobody knew how to weave. So, I came and taught them all the things,” says María Medellín.

24-hour energy for the indigenous people of Guaviare - 24-hour energy, the dream of the indigenous people of Guaviare that became a reality

The artisan also talks about the importance of the new hybrid energy generation plant they installed. “I like to work late. Having light helps me a lot. “You are encouraged to work.” María explains that the arrival of 24-hour light has boosted her artisanal work and improved her quality of life.

But beyond the practical benefits, the artisans of Miraflores dream of a future full of opportunities for their community. They also dream of being able to produce more and more crafts and also of the arrival of tourists who value and buy their art. She is sure that having an extra income is the real change for her town. This is just one example of the lives that will be transformed by the arrival of 1,323 solar panels.

The light in deep Colombia is just the beginning of the task

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Andrés Camacho, said: “We have inaugurated a solar park with fully public investment in a joint effort with IPSE. This project allows us to extend the service provision from 18 to 24 hours throughout the week in this non-interconnected area.

This is what the democratisation of energy and the fair energy transition are all about, extending the guarantees of a dignified life to the territories through the generation of renewable energy.”