Madagascar’s ‘Solar mamas’ are Lighting the Way

Posted on April, 15 2025

In the heart of Madagascar’s Menabe region — a biodiversity hotspot renowned for its sprawling mangroves, rare dry forests, and endemic species — a quiet revolution is unfolding. Here, in the village of Ambakivao, four women are tackling two of the region’s most pressing challenges: energy access and environmental degradation. Known locally as the “solar grandmothers,” Remeza, Kingeline, Yollande, and Hanitra are bringing light to their community, one solar lamp at a time, while also protecting Madagascar’s fragile ecosystems.

Like much of rural Madagascar, where less than 15% of households have access to electricity, Ambakivao has long relied on petroleum lamps to illuminate its homes after dark. These dim, smoky lamps come with a steep cost: respiratory illnesses, fire hazards, and a dependence on expensive, imported fuel. Here, as in so many villages across the country, darkness limits opportunity.

“We had always used petroleum-filled lamps, producing smokes that made our children ill and polluted the air,” Hanitra told WWF.

Today, however, solar lamps are brightening their homes, enabling children to study at night and families to work together in the evening. The transformation has been profound. “With this solar technology, humans are feeling good, and nature also. It doesn't smoke and doesn't smell bad,” Hanitra said.

Collaboration for Change

The shift in Ambakivao began with a powerful partnership between WWF Madagascar and Barefoot College International, a global training programme empowering rural women to become solar engineers. In 2012, the two organisations launched the “woman solar engineer” approach in Madagascar, with the goal of addressing the country’s dire energy access issues, particularly in the Manambolo Tsiribihina landscape. This area is home to the largest, most intact stretches of mangroves in western Madagascar, which provide vital livelihoods for 50,000 people.

Technical work, as Hanitra explains, “is a men’s thing back there in Manambolo. But [at Barefoot College], the ones mastering it are women. It’s thrilling to see that, women and men, we can do it equally.”

The Barefoot College programme is about more than just technical training — it’s about leadership. The programme prioritises community involvement at every step, ensuring that the initiative is both sustainable and rooted in local ownership. In the case of Ambakivao, the solar grandmothers not only returned home as skilled solar engineers, but also as role models, showing their communities that women could lead the way in tackling energy poverty.

27 Malagasy women have completed Barefoot College’s six-month training programme in India, and among them are Ambakivao’s four solar grandmothers. Equipped with the skills to install and maintain solar technology, these women have become agents of change in their village.

A Village Effort

The success of the solar programme in Ambakivao is due, in large part, to the participatory decision-making model at its core. In each village, including Ambakivao, community members hold meetings to elect volunteers for solar training and form solar committees that oversee financial and administrative aspects of the programme. It’s a model that not only puts renewable energy at the fore but also ensures that the community is deeply involved in the process from start to finish.

For the solar grandmothers, this work is about more than just technology; it’s about reshaping their communities. Yollande, one of the solar grandmothers, shares how empowering it has been to take on such a pivotal role in her village: “Women often lack courage where I’m from so I want to tell them: be courageous and be strong. Don’t be afraid and take your responsibilities whatever your burden or load because it’s better to be in charge and discover new things.”

These women are truly transforming daily life in Ambakivao. Evening hours, once marked by darkness and limited productivity, are now filled with activity. Children study under bright, clean light, and families can continue working on income-generating activities like weaving raffia mats. As Yollande explained to WWF, “I really feel that everything we’ve learned here will be good for where we’re from. It’s innovative and so crucial for our village and our living. From what I’ve seen here in India, the women are getting the job done.”

Ripple Effects Across Madagascar

Thanks to the success of the approach, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry in charge of population have launched the Barefoot College National Program with an ambitious goal of training 744 Women Solar Engineers, impacting 630,000 households across the country by 2030.

Since 2019, a training center operated by Barefoot College Madagascar has been established in Tsiafajavona, Madagascar. And more than 90 Women Solar Engineers from 29 villages have been trained there. More than 2,000 households got access to electricity thanks to the program.

Women from across the country can participate in a four-month programme in the training center. Here, they don’t just learn solar engineering but also gain skills in financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and life skills through Barefoot College’s Enriche curriculum.

For the solar grandmothers, the training has not only equipped them with the tools to light up their villages but has also given them the confidence to break barriers and lead the charge for change in their communities.

A Brighter Future

The impact of the solar grandmothers is undeniable. Their work is already changing the future of Ambakivao, offering not just light but hope and opportunity for future generations. Hanitra sums up their mission perfectly: “With this solar technology, humans are feeling good, and nature also.” For these women, it’s not just about providing energy — it’s about giving their community the power to thrive, sustainably.

Yolande and Hanitra are now master trainers at the training center in Tsiafajavona: they supervise the training in Tsiafajavona regularly.

In addition to electricity, WWF, in partnership with the community and local authorities, is developing basic services like improved drinking water for community members. Additional electricity services allowing the productive use of electricity like fish conservation and access to information are also planned.

This story was first published in January 2025 by REN21 as part of its partnership with WWF in the REboot The World campaign.

Barefoot College Madagascar

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