By Andrea Eras Almeida
Tatiana Vásquez Hernández (Bogotá, Colombia, 1987), an expert in photovoltaic solar energy and rural electrification. Throughout her 10 years of experience in the photovoltaic sector, she has worked as a consultant engineer in the public and private sector in development cooperation. She acknowledges that photovoltaic technology, especially in off-grid systems, allows her to participate in several aspects that she is passionate about, such as working in the whole process from generation to consumption of electricity, closeness to communities, caring for the environment, and also, reaching remote places where very few arrive.
She defines herself as a solidary,
understanding, confident, responsible, and respectful woman for her family. She
is a dreamer what she shares with her husband, virtues that she considers
important within a marriage. She proudly tells us what it means to be a Colombian:
"Colombia represents cordiality and kindness, typical characteristics of
people from Latin America, who always have a smile on their face". At the
same time, she expresses her unease about how stereotypes related to drug
trafficking still exist for Colombians in some countries.
Tatiana
is an Electrical Engineer from the Francisco José de Caldas District University
and she holds a master’s degree in Photovoltaic Solar Energy from the Technical
University of Madrid. She studied electrical engineering by pure coincidence. At
that time, when she had to decide about her university studies, studying systems
engineering was on the boom, and at school, she had been on her way to that
from a young age. Indeed, in her free
time, she worked in a computer business. Tatiana knew that she wanted to study
at a public university because, for her, public education is more human. She
tried to study at the National University in Colombia, where among 4,000 people,
there were only 80 places for systems engineering. Unfortunately, Tatiana was
ranked No. 90, which placed her as "optional" in case someone weives to
a study place, but it did not happen. Without hesitation, she decided to look
for an alternative. She didn't give up! She applied to the Public University of
Bogotá to go for the electrical engineering degree. In the first semester of
her bachelor's degree, she received the subject "Engineering Seminar".
She learned the basics of the electrical engineering career and immediately she
became passionate about electricity generation, with a particular interest in hydraulics. In her career there were optional subjects,
including "Photovoltaic Systems". This area attracted her attention
much more than other because "photovoltaic can be implemented in areas where
hydraulics does not, and Colombia is full of these areas". This was how
her passion for photovoltaics started.
It even started before she finished her studies through an internship program. To
end this story, she cites happily two pieces of advice from her father. "It
is not about doing what you want, it is about loving what you do”. This is reflected
in her face every time she mentions the word "photovoltaic". “No
matter what career, the most essential is that it will allow you to be
independent”, because “what you cannot give up is your freedom of thought, what
is given to you by a career and it enables you to think totally
different".
Along
her professional career, several experiences have marked her life, and among
them, she especially highlights women's stories. She shares with us her
experience in Arauca, an area that has been characterized by high levels of
insecurity. Here, she had the mission to implement solar energy pilot projects
financed by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Innovation where she had the goal to identify homes with no access
to electricity service by grid extension. Thanks to this project, Tatiana met a
75-year-old woman, a teacher at a school located very close to a flooding area.
This woman adapted her humble house to help the children who couldn't go to
school due to the winter season and floods, allowing them to learn during the
wintertime. For Tatiana, it has been very gratifying to see that with her work
she could provide hope and improved the living and learning conditions of these
children by bringing and installing solar technology into their community.
Her work is a way to mitigate climate
change and inequality, “… contributing to this with my work is what comforts me
and, much more, when I’m witnessing those stories that impact and show the real
life of my country”. For instance, in remote areas, she indicates, “people have
to walk up to three hours to charge their cell phone to the nearest town and
pay a rate of 1,000 pesos, while in the city, they can do it directly at home
and the cost of electricity is much cheaper”. Then, she claims:
"transforming the lives of these people is my contribution, it is about
allowing these people to have a part of
the opportunities that we have in the city".
Tatiana tells us about the barriers she has faced in a technical area. The first barrier starts from training in technology for women, a barrier from high school. In Bogotá, at that time, technical schools were only intended for men. At the University, she encounters another barrier related to the difference in knowledge between women and men. This fact was a consequence of the lack of technical studies from an earlier age compared to her classmates. Tatiana was one of six women in a class shared with 40 men in electrical engineering studies. Her teamwork was commonly made up of women to support each other. These barriers are not only in training but also in participation. Tatiana affirms that "there is no enough representation of women in the Colombian energy sector, and fostering access to information on gender is needed". She considers that "it is necessary to recognize that women are important for the development of society, and we must give ourselves a place", also "... it is necessary to work to face these barriers based on a mistrust of the ability of women to work in engineering".
Tatiana admires her family, which is characterized
by its perseverance and spirit of improvement. She values her husband's ability
to follow his dreams, her father's discipline, her mother's human qualities,
and her brother's perseverance. Outside of her family environment, she
recognizes that she admires certain characteristics in people, such as
"the struggle with a purpose". Among these people, she names Marie
Curie, who, at the time, could not make her research projects her own from the
beginning, but who, despite everything, did not give up…”. "Tatiana can be
a role model", she emphasizes with confidence, confidence build in her
lifetime career. Her spirit of
self-improvement can inspire other women. She states: "It is about knowing
the history of each woman to guide her to achieve her goals".
“Nowadays, there are more opportunities
for women, they have more visibility. It is time to empower themselves, learn,
teach and make themselves known”. She recognizes the importance of having
Development Goal 5 “Gender Equality” on the Global Agenda. “It is time to
participate, to build and make our stories known”.
Her advice for little girls and young
people, who intend to undertake a technical career, tells: “You have to find what
you are passionate about to enjoy it, you can also cry about it, not everything
is joy, but you know that is worthwhile ”.
“Start by discovering what you like most and
read up on the training possibilities available”.
¡Thank you very much, Tatiana,
we enjoy knowing, writing, and above all, sharing your story!
Energy from Women
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