Empowering Rural and Indigenous Communities
The Empowerment on Renewable Energies as Restorative and Peacebuilding Strategy (ENERPEAS) project, funded by JAC Trust, is transforming communities in the municipalities of Ricaurte and Cumbal, located in the department of Nariño in southwestern Colombia, near the border with Ecuador, and over 800 kilometers from Bogotá, the nation’s capital. These areas, deeply affected by Colombia’s armed conflict, are home to indigenous communities of the Awá and Pastos Peoples, who face significant challenges related to access to electricity and socio-economic development. The project runs from January 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, and its primary objective is to implement photovoltaic solar energy systems to promote environmental sustainability while contributing to peacebuilding and collective reparation processes.
Beneficiary Institutions
Among the direct beneficiaries are the Inkal Awá Agricultural Educational Institution, located in the Magüí Indigenous Reservation of the Awá People in Ricaurte, and the adjacent health center, both of which lack a reliable and continuous energy supply. In Cumbal, the project benefits the San Martín Centro Educational Institution, located in the San Martín village within the territory of the Cumbal Indigenous Reservation of the Pastos People. These institutions are located in rural, remote areas where access to basic services is limited.
Strategic Alliances
The project is carried out in collaboration with the mayor’s offices of Ricaurte and Cumbal, which provide logistical support and infrastructure adaptation for the installation of solar panels. FUNDEPAZ, together with JAC Trust, contributes technical and financial resources, as well as monitoring and the systematization of lessons learned. These strategic partnerships ensure the sustainability of the project and its alignment with territorial development plans.
Project Components
ENERPEAS includes several complementary components designed from a holistic perspective. The technical component focuses on energy infrastructure, support structures, and other auxiliary elements. The energy infrastructure consists of 44 solar panels, each with a capacity of 500 W, designed to produce approximately 62 kWh per day. It also includes 4 lithium batteries of 3.5 kWh (Pylontech US3000 48V), energy accumulators, and 4 hybrid inverters of 6500 W (48V Voltronic Axpert MAX II). The support infrastructure includes the construction of permanent metallic structures to hold the panels and house the batteries and other equipment. Other essential materials, such as wiring, fuses, and breakers, are also included.
The social component focuses on engaging, raising awareness, and training the community about renewable energy, environmental conservation, and the maintenance and care of photovoltaic infrastructure, as well as the prioritization of collective needs subject to reparation within comprehensive reparation plans. As part of this component, several workshops have been conducted to train community members on climate change, environmental conservation, renewable energy, and solar system maintenance, promoting self-management and fostering a sense of ownership.
The peacebuilding component emphasizes symbolic collective reparation for the prioritized communities. This includes the formulation and implementation of Collective Reparation Plans, based on Law 1448 of 2011 and its regulatory decrees, recognizing the need to address not only individual damages but also collective impacts that have weakened the social, cultural, and organizational fabric of these communities. As part of this effort, a symbolic reparation act honors the memory of communities affected by the armed conflict while delivering the photovoltaic energy systems as a restorative measure.
Beneficiary Population
ENERPEAS seeks to directly benefit 1,500 people, including students, teachers, and health center users, most of whom belong to peasant and indigenous populations from the Awá and Pastos Peoples. Indirectly, the project impacts an additional 3,000 people by ensuring better energy access under optimal conditions for all community members. Beneficiary schools also serve as hubs for various community activities, such as meetings and celebrations, further amplifying the project’s impact.
Impact and Expected Results
Socially, ENERPEAS improves quality of life by providing reliable energy to key institutions such as schools and health centers. This ensures the proper storage of medicines, improves healthcare delivery, and creates more effective educational environments with access to technological tools like computers and printers. Additionally, it strengthens the social fabric through training activities and workshops, promoting community cohesion, self-management, and reconciliation in regions affected by the armed conflict.
Environmentally, ENERPEAS reduces dependence on fossil fuels by installing photovoltaic solar energy systems, significantly decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. This contributes to climate change mitigation and improves air quality in the rural areas where the project is implemented. Additionally, environmental awareness workshops promote sustainable practices among beneficiaries.
Through ENERPEAS, the beneficiary communities not only gain access to clean energy but also empower themselves to build a more sustainable and peaceful future.
