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strong>JP/Slamet Susanto The ditch was only about 80 centimeters and the depth of water 20 centimeters, but the ingenuity of Mutohar, 57, a farmer from Singosarean hamlet, Wukirsari village, Imogiri district, Bantul regency, eventually turned the drain into a source of energy and village road lighting.

“It is a small one. If rivers were utilized rather than left unexploited, they could be major energy sources and electricity would no longer be a burden to be borne by society,” said the father of four.

In the middle of 2007, the energy crisis received wide Indonesian media coverage, with outages everywhere. One day, Mutohar, who had only finished primary school, read an article on using water mills for power generation.

“I shared my idea with several neighbors and we built a water mill with disregarded material we could find,” he said, describing the used oil drums and other materials used to build the first water mill, which was only capable of producing 10 watts of energy.

Mutohar thought by using new iron plates, the energy produced could be bigger. So he borrowed Rp 800,000 (US$83.33) from the village neighborhood youth organization.

“There was no guarantee that the iron plates would work. So many people said I was crazy and nuts,” he recalled.

Supported by local youths, Mutohar rebuilt the mill, creating a wheel 1.8 meters in diameter with 16 blades. However, it was not able to reach maximum capacity because the cushion for its propeller was used-rubber, which caused it to slip frequently. Again, Mutohar borrow money, this time Rp 2 million to buy a dynamo and repaired the propeller.

In August 2007, after four months of construction by trial and error, Mutohar’s water mill was able produce 1,700 watts of energy during the maximum water flow period in the rainy season. In the dry season, the mill was still able to turn out 800 watts.

“We built it together and relied on logic. For four months, we were testing the mill countless times in order to ensure it produced the maximum energy output,” Mutohar pointed out.

A lathe and a coconut shredder, powered by the water, were also installed near the mill so that local people could use the machines, particularly in view of the village’s proximity to a woody hill.

“Once in a while, when villagers are holding feasts, the shredder is used to avoid manually grating hundreds of coconuts. However, villagers do not use it for daily cooking,” he added.

Thanks to the water mill project initiated by Mutohar, the road in his village never again has to be in darkness. “When there’s an outage, local residents operate the mill and the village lights are turned on,” he noted.

Once the mill functioned Mutohar, as a farmer, submitted a proposal for financial aid to the Yogyakarta provincial administration and Bantul regency administration, which was granted. He used the money to repay all his debts.

Mutohar described the water mill generator as the fruit of hard work, perseverance and confidence. Singosaren residents have proven they are capable of creating a source of energy albeit on a small scale and without the assistance of engineers.

“I may have a minimal education but I imagine that if the authorities in our country were willing to exploit Indonesia’s geographic conditions, people may not need to pay for electricity or perhaps charged mush less,” he said.

Mutohar’s mechanical skills were during the time he worked for a stone quarrying firm in Bogor, West Java, in the 1980s.

“Every machine must have an operating system, I would question my boss on particular systems and then practiced it myself,” he said.

This self-teaching method meant that the primary school graduate was even entrusted with the task of heading the mechanical section.

However, this position above those with higher levels of education gave rise to envy among his peers, even leading to acts of violence. As a result, in 1982, Mutohar and his wife Sus Maryati, 52, returned to his home village with their family.

“What we are seeking is a peaceful life. That is why I chose to go back home instead of facing thugs,” explained Mutohar.

Nonetheless, despite the experience in Bogor, through his diligence and creativity he has been able to save for his farm business and purchase a truck for sand and stone transportation. For Mutohar, fortune can favor anyone — even if you live in a hamlet — as long as you work with determination.

Three of his children, Rizal kurniawati, Faizal Ajib, Ainur Rohim, have graduated from college. His youngest son, Imat M Habib, is currently completing his studies at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta.

“God has blessed us with logic and reasoning and in addition to perseverance and persistence they all serve as major assets,” he concluded.