Reliable access to energy is more than just a utility. It's a catalyst for greater impact in development initiatives. That's why the 2025 Challenge Fund is seeking innovative solutions that expand and enhance the benefits of energy access in remote and underserved communities. With up to AUD 100,000 in funding available, Palladium invites changemakers, innovators, and organisations to submit bold ideas aligned with this year's theme: " Rural Energy Revolution: Efficient Energy Storage for Remote Communities." Learn more and apply by visiting Palladium 2025 Challenge Fund. Submissions are due by 13 June 2025

From Shadows to Self-Reliance: Solar Power Sparks a New Chapter in Mata Redi

In the remote village of Mata Redi, nestled in Indonesia’s South Wewewa subdistrict on the island of Sumba, life once slowed to a standstill after dark. Without reliable electricity, opportunities for learning, working, and building local businesses were limited by daylight hours. But today, that is changing, thanks to a new solar-powered microgrid owned and operated by the community itself.

Installed as a partnership between MENTARI and local NGOs including Humba Hammu, a consortium of eight local organisations led by women, and the Don Bosco Training Centre, and implemented by Palladium, the system is helping Mata Redi power its own development. It's more than a technological upgrade—it's a locally managed solution designed to create lasting benefits.

Community-Owned, Community-Driven

What sets the Mata Redi project apart is its ownership model. The solar microgrid is managed by a village-owned energy business, ensuring that revenue from electricity stays within the community. Residents received training to operate and maintain the system, reinforcing both the technical sustainability and local empowerment needed for long-term success.

Now, villagers can run appliances, preserve food and medicine, operate small businesses, and extend daily activities into the evening. The availability of consistent, renewable energy is opening new doors for livelihoods and learning, especially for women and young people.

A Foundation for Broader Impact

The story of Mata Redi shows how access to energy can serve as a foundation for broader social and economic transformation. By focusing on community-led solutions and integrating energy into local priorities, the initiative is helping lay the groundwork for lasting development.

Palladium’s role in facilitating this work, through MENTARI, illustrates the power of connecting infrastructure to education, governance, and community engagement. It’s a model that doesn't just deliver power, it delivers agency and opportunity.

A Call for Bold Ideas

With the 2025 Challenge Fund now accepting applications, Palladium is inviting organisations and innovators to submit ideas that expand the impact of energy access in similar communities.

Whether it’s for education, healthcare, enterprise, or agriculture, the goal is to make energy a lever for deeper, lasting change.

Because when the power stays on, everything else can move forward.

For the past 20 years, Palladium has committed 1.5% of our profit before tax to our global giving platform, Let’s Make it Possible. Through this platform and in partnership with the Kyeema Foundation, Palladium funds humanitarian relief efforts, supports community projects nominated by employees, and runs an annual Challenge Fund to tackle a major global problem.

MENTARI Programme, led by the British Embassy Jakarta and its partners with supports from Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, aims to deliver inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction in Indonesia, by supporting the uptake of low carbon energy. The programme has a specific focus on developing the low carbon energy sector to best support disadvantaged communities, and specifically those in eastern Indonesia. Learn more about MENTARI or watch the video about the project in Mata Redi.