Mariela is a teenager from El Común, a small rural area in Peru. Every morning, Mariela wakes up before the sun rises to help her family with their daily activities. In a household with no access to electricity, Mariela lights up the kitchen with a flashlight to prepare breakfast for the family, while the rest makes their way to the farm or the hills to take care of the cows. Using a lantern is not a surprise in the neighborhood. Most of Mariela’s neighbors do not have power supply in their homes.

El Común residents rely on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods and have limited access to electricity. The only place where the community can charge their electronic devices is the common farmhouse, which is about 15 minutes away from Mariela’s home.

Fueled by a vision to improve their community's quality of life, a group of secondary school students came together with a solution.

Unleashing the power within

Carmen, Jairo, and Nerly proposed a solution called ‘Trapiche.’ “Trapiche uses the propulsive energy generated by a mill when it is rotated by a pack animal – like the horse at Mariela’s. The mill produces energy capable of turning on a light bulb or charging electronic devices,” explains Jairo.

“We connected the pulley with a belt. When the pulley rotates with the horse walking in a circle, the movement is converted into electricity via the transformer and battery. An inverter connected at the end has outlets and USB ports to plug in chargers and light bulbs,” he continued.

A brighter future

“With Trapiche, Mariela and her younger brother would not have to go all the way to the common farmhouse to charge their electronic devices,” said the team. With electricity supplied directly to their homes, students of El Común would be able to study at home even during dark hours and use their mobile phones and tablets without worrying about electricity.

Acknowledged for their innovative thinking and for creating positive change in society, the three students won first place in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Peru. The team reflected on their achievement and expressed gratitude towards Samsung for providing a platform to bring their project to life. “We are extremely proud of enacting positive change within our community. We hope that our younger siblings and fellow students will continue to pave their way to realizing their dreams,” said Carmen.