In this age, electricity has been a crucial main commodity for everyday life. Seeing this, UPH Electrical Engineering department gave out 5 sets of solar lanterns for SLH (Sekolah Lentera Harapan) Mamit, Tolikara District, to be used in 6th grade science classes. The lanterns were given out in the YPHP (Yayasan Pendidikan Harapan Papua) office in the 1st floor of UPH building C, by Henri Uranus, Head of Department of UPH Electrical Engineering, and 3 students ? Budi Khusnandar (EMP Head of Committee, Electrical Engineering 2017), Josavan Ezekhiel Taniara (Head of Committee of the project), and Hadipranowo Hartanto ? to Alexandra Yasa and Ms. Nursani Dewi Lugito, YPH Papua Director, on November 29, 2018.

Henri explained about the poor electrification in Papua, where only about 50% citizens, especially those far from cities, have access to electricity. Rechargeable lamps become a solution that will contribute a lot to the communities. This is why Henri, along with the department, hope that the 3-watt solar lanterns they delivered can help the people living there.

?With these solar lanterns, they can be more productive, especially in helping their kids in their study. In addition, these solar lanterns are safer because they don?t produce dangerous vapor. We hope that our small gift can give an impact towards the people?s lives. Due to several shortcomings, we indeed have only delivered 5 lanterns, and we realize that this is still far from the amount that they need,? Henri added.

Henri told that this project started from the lecturers and students wanting to perfect their solar lanterns that have been designed for the Electrical Engineering department?s yearly event, Electro Mega Project (EMP).

?This project started from a yearly event of Electrical Engineering students, Electro Mega Project (EMP) held on May 2018, right on time for the International Day of Light (IDL) 2018 on May 16, where the students joined a workshop on making solar lamps for Poris Indah High School students. These solar lamps are simple contraptions built using things we can find around us, like plastic bottles, lunch boxes, some pipes, and a power bank. We hope that this is not only something that the students can learn for themselves, but something that can really be useful. From this, we perfected the solar lanterns and made them to be sent to Papua,? Henri Uranus, Head of the UPH Electrical Engineering Department, told us.

The making of these solar lanterns undoubtedly uses skills learned in Electrical Engineering, such as Electronic Circuit Engineering. The students learn about the workings of a circuit and the design philosophy behind a circuit. The students also learn about the solar cell and really experiment with solar energy.

Not only from an academic point of view, Henri testifies that this activity trains students to use their knowledge and technology in a positive way ? to help better other people?s lives and to care for our brethren in need, and also to build the spirit of teamwork in organizing a project.

?Electrical Engineering is an important field in the Industry 4.0 Era, an era that focuses on alternative energy that can fulfill the needs of Indonesia, like the need of rechargeable lighting that we try to address using this solar lantern. However, there are definitely other things that are currently being developed in the brim of this era, like the IoT technology that combines sensors and actuators with the network, 3D printing, big data, and a lot others. We hope that we can prepare the students to become graduates that are fluent in facing all these new developments,? Henri explained, closing the interview. (mt)