Children No Longer Studying in the Dark

For many years, people in RT 06 Batu Bide, Bengkayang Regency have been accustomed to living without lighting. Candles and lamps are their close friends at night. The absence of electricity makes residents, including children, must be accustomed to doing activities in the dark.

Radiamus, one of the residents explained that he had asked the local government to help install electricity in the village. However, the results are always zero.

"We propose to the village government, district government, and even to members of the parliament, there has never been an answer," he explained.

Knowing this fact, Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) through the Bengkayang Program Area is engaged to help Batu Bide residents to get electricity. With the support of Grow Center (GBI Gandaria City) through the GC Light Project program, which was run at the end of 2019, WVI succeeded in bringing electricity facilities and infrastructure into the village.

By getting a letter of recommendation from the local government and coordinating with the head of the public health center (puskesmas) as the chairperson of the Covid-19 Task Force in Bengkayang District, as well as having a Health Certificate from the puskesmas where the workers came from, the program which was constrained for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic successfully completed in the middle of May 2020. Now 44 houses and 1 house of worship have received electricity that residents can use every day.

"We are grateful that this year we can enjoy electricity. We would like to thank WVI and Grow Center who want to help us so that our children can enjoy electricity and study at night, "said Radiamus, who is also the chairman of the electricity installation committee at Batu Bide.

Not only residents are happy, but children in the region also feel extraordinary joy. They now no longer need to feel the difficulty of learning, reading and doing activities at home even though the night is approaching.

Written by: Timotius Winner, Staff of the Bengkayang Wahana Visi Indonesia Program Area