Born: 6 August 1964
Nationality: Indonesian
In spite of the fact that Indonesia is rich in natural resources, many of the country’s rural villages do not have electricity. Tri Mumpuni, born in 1964, has dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of more than 60 rural communities. Utilising the country’s abundant water resources, Mumpuni collaborates with rural communities to provide training in the construction and maintenance of micro-hydroelectricity plants for electricity generation.
The project strives to develop electricity systems as a community based initiative through which every individual can participate and benefit. Mumpuni has developed a system which enables communities to maintain control over the funding, administration and operation of the generators, as well as the revenue generated.
Mumpuni also works to establish connections between villages and the state-owned electricity company. This is vital for both the sustainability and the profitability of the project as it facilitates the selling on of excess power that is created by the hydro-plants.
The construction of rural micro-hydropower plants in Indonesia has received backing from The United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and Mumpuni has also received various awards and recognition, namely from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Tri Mumpuni is a Great Utopian for her tireless work in providing electricity to many isolated communities and for her success in developing a profitable model of development which puts people and community at the heart of its concerns.