Posted on junio, 28 2019

600 Million people in Africa have no access to electricity hindering sustainable development in the continent. As part of solutions, in 2012, Barefoot College International and WWF Madagascar established a partnership to promote the “Woman Solar Engineer” approach with the aim of favoring access to sustainable energy for all, especially in WWF’s priority areas of intervention throughout the world, starting with Madagascar where only 6.10% of the rural population has access to electricity and where remote rural villages are particularly forsaken.
 
Women coming from remote villages with a low level of instruction, meeting certain criteria, including the age group between 35 and 50 years, are trained in solar technology to thus practice in their village. To date, 27 malagasy “women solar engineer” learned about solar system in Barefoot College India for the benefit of 1600 households.
 
On their return to their village after training, the solar mamas are provided with tools and spare parts and are able to manufacture the components of solar home system and solar lanterns, assemble them, and install them. They are also able to provide maintenance and repairs. A village solar committee  ensure the sustainability of the electricity service.
 
 
A Madagascar Barefoot College training center for well-being improvement and socio-economic development:
 
A Barefoot College training center opens its doors in Madagascar, in the rural municipality of Tsiafajavona, Ambatolampy District, 70 kilometers in the south of the Capital Antananarivo. It is part of the Barefoot College National Program established under the leadership of the Ministry in charge of Energy,  to scale up the “woman solar engineer” approach throughout the country.
 
Voahirana Randriambola, President of NGO Barefoot College Madagascar standing as WWF in the Board, says: “The solar mama approach is unique because vulnerable members of a community bring access to electricity for the whole community. Moreover, thanks to this national program, solar mamas will be able to spread their know-how through delivering solar trainings to other women in the training center. It’s a great model of skill transfer and up-scaling to achieve universal access to sustainable energy in Africa with consideration of vulnerable people, for them to have access to clean, reliable and affordable electricity services !”
 
By 2030, a network of 744 solar mamas from remote rural villages will be trained in the Barefoot College training center in Madagascar for the manufacturing, mounting, installation, maintenance of photovoltaic solar systems.  thanks to those solar mamas, 630,000 households would sustainably have access to solar electricity services.
 
Vonjy Andriamanga, Minister of Energy, Water and Hydrocarbon states that:  “Thanks to this program, electricity access is progressing even in remote areas, the living conditions of villagers are improving, and income-generating activities are developing. In short, the program is a lever for the long-awaited socio-economic development and ambition displayed by the solemn commitment of the President of the Republic of Madagascar.”
 
Intensive training for women empowerment:
During 5 months, 4 solar instructors from previous promotions and 12 new learners are living in the center in Tsiafajavona. Not only are women given solar curriculum: manufacturing, installation and maintenance of solar photovoltaic systems; but also they are taught about financial inclusion, micro enterprise, income generating activities, reproductive health, self-awareness, law, environment, digital tool (called Enriche curriculum).
 
Solar entrepreneurship development by solar community and solar mamas, part of the scaling up scenario
Once the electrification stage of the village is completed and after the solar committee has acquired a certain rigor in the management of the electricity service, field partners of the national program support the solar committee and solar mamas in solar entrepreneurship development. Solar mamas manufacture portable solar lanterns and solar committee sale them to non-equipped households in their villages and surrounding area.