It was not an easy decision for Ms. Clara Momoi. Should she leave her well paid and comfortable senior National Government job in Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, or return home to lead the redevelopment of her hometown, Buin. 

Buin lies at the tip of Southern Bougainville, a town marked by poor infrastructure, limited access to basic services, and frequent power outages. Yet, Momoi decided to make the move to help in the development of her hometown. 

“I knew I had to take this challenge to come back home to help my people” she says, adding that it wasn’t an easy homecoming and career change. “It took me a month to decide. Because you cannot compare Buin with any other part of Bougainville like Buka, and certainly not Port Moresby.” 

Buin, located in the heart of the Southern Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, remains one of Bougainville’s least developed regions. Its economic challenges are compounded by severe accessibility issues due to poor road conditions. The rough roads are often disrupted by flooding from the region’s many rivers. The town has no airport and relies primarily on its seaport for the transport of goods and services. Its economic prospects are further hindered by lack of consistent access to reliable power. 

The Regional Director position under the Department of Community Government was not something she had actively thought about. However, when the opportunity arose, the chance to influence real change was irresistible. “I really wanted to help and influence local decision-making. That really motivated me to come straight here,” she explains.

Momoi now leads the region’s restructuring efforts. Her vision for Buin’s transformation is rooted not only in her expertise in policy and budgeting but also her personal experience as a mother and a small business owner. “I’m a SME mother. I sell art crafts but at a very micro level,” she explains. Her perspective as both a policy maker and micro entrepreneur gives her a deeper understanding of the daily struggles of people in Buin. 

In her community, the informal jobs sector - such as street vendors selling ice blocks, food, and woven goods - are a primary source of livelihoods. These businesses are mostly run by women. For many of them, one of the biggest barriers to successfully running businesses is the cost of power. “We are managers of the homes, especially in terms of the expenses,” she says. 

She experiences the same reality. “I buy power and make sure my kids enjoy the privileges of getting power everyday even though it’s expensive. Tariff on power concerns us the most.”

As the region’s leader overseeing infrastructure and energy, she sees renewable energy as a driver for both internal and external development. The newly commissioned Buin Solar Farm, constructed by UNDP with the generous support of the Government of Japan through its ‘Pacific Green Transformation Project’, is a solution to those daily burdens. Solar power is expected to significantly lower the current expensive tariffs, making electricity more affordable for families and small businesses. 

“It’s going to have a significant impact on the lives of the people.” Cheaper, stable power means vendors can extend their hours of operation and expand business opportunities. “That’s a plus for the economic sector, especially for women,” Ms. Momoi explains.

She also expects renewable energy to have positive ripple effects on community development. Access to electricity encourages residents to build better and safer housing, and to qualify for grid connections. “It will have both indirect and direct impacts and improve standards of living. It will also change the mindset and behaviors of people as they learn from their neighbors,” she says.

Ms. Momoi’s decision to embrace clean energy is not just a local economic strategy. It’s also a direct response to the climate crisis. After coming home to Bougainville, she noticed how climate change was affecting the region. An increase in temperatures was causing residents to feel the heat even during the night. “We are already experiencing it, this is reality,” she warns. “We are endangering the future of our generations. We have to really wake up to ensure that our future generations live in a place where they are not affected by extreme weather.”

Now, her concern extends beyond Papua New Guinea. “The world is just under one umbrella. I would encourage other countries and regions to promote clean energy. We need to ensure that future generations are safe. They are breathing the same air we are breathing,” she says. 

Alongside her public role, lies her personal aspiration to one day run a bigger business. “I envision that in 20 years time, Buin will be a changed place. It will be really different with the power.” Ms. Momoi’s return home and her desire to bring about change reflects the strength of local women’s leadership in Bougainville, to bring about crucial and enduring change in communities that need it most.