‘Fireflies’ Light Up Waengapan Village

The light bulbs they held in the main field of the Waengapan village, Buru regency, Maluku, were like flying giant fireflies.

Kompas/Aris Prasetyo

A Waengapan villager sits on his front porch in Lolong Guba district, Buru regency, Maluku, enjoying the bright light produced through the government’s solar power electricity aid. The residents used to rely on damar resin to light their homes before the electricity aid reached their remote village.

Carlos Nurlatu, 5, smiled broadly, showing off his white teeth in the glow of a light bulb he held in his small hand. That night, dozens of people lined the village holding a lighted bulb.

The light bulbs they held in the main field of the Waengapan village, Lolong Guba district, Buru regency, Maluku, were like giant fireflies. They held the celebration to mark the the first time electricity entered the village.