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The Barefoot Approach in Bhutan
Thirty women from Bhutan left their villages for the first
time in August to travel to India to become solar engineers.
These Bhutanese women, between the ages of 20 and 40
years,
will be trained at the Barefoot College to become barefoot solar
engineers.
Pema Chode from Tshamkhor Gewog said, "We are thankful
to India government for taking such initiative. We will work hard
and hope to bring back to our villages what we learn
there."
On completion of their training, the women will be provided with
solar units and equipment to establish rural electronic
workshops, where repair and maintenance will be carried out.
The Barefoot Solar Engineers will be paid by each community
to maintain the solar units.
Nearly 500 families in 28 villages will be solar-electrified by
March 2008 when the Barefoot Solar Engineers return to
their communities to install and maintain the solar power
systems. Most of these remote, rural communities are 4 to
5 hours walk from the nearest road -- making it far too
costly to solar-electrify these communities by conventional
grids.
The projects in Bhutan are funded by the Asian Development Bank.
Kuensel Online, the Bhutanese News Service, August 20,
2007 >
Bhutan Broadcasting Service, August 18, 2007 >
Meet the Women Barefoot Solar Engineers of Bhutan >
Women Barefoot Solar Engineers of The Gambia
Aji Camara and Mariama Badjie, two African women
trained by
the Barefoot College in Tilonia, have returned to their homes in
The Gambia -- and are bringing solar power and clean drinking
water to their rural communities in The Gambia.
Vice President Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy inaugurated the
solar
lighting and rainwater harvesting systems at a ceremony in
Kankurang, in the western region, home of these women
who
are the first Barefoot Solar Engineers of The Gambia. The
Indian High Commissioner to The Gambia Ms.Parbati Sen
and the Hon. Consul of India to The Gambia Ram Mohan
and other senior officials from the Indian Embassy also
attended the ceremony.
The women solar engineers have installed solar power
systems in two villages. Rooftop rainwater harvesting
systems constructed with their supervision in five schools
will provide clean drinking water to the families in these
communities. The Barefoot engineers will be paid by the
community to maintain these systems.
The local partner for the project is Riders for Health.
The Inauguration
Ceremony in The Gambia >
The Daily Observer, September 4, 2007 >
Watch the solar electrification of the villages in The Gambia on YouTube!
The Ordinary Heroes of Afghanistan
Barefoot solar engineers bring light to remote, poor
villages all over the world.
As documented in the short film, The Ordinary Heroes of
Afghanistan, The Barefoot College organized five
remote Afghani villages to select 10 representatives to
become Barefoot Solar Engineers, brought them to India for
six months of training, and purchased and transported solar
panels to solar electrify the villages for five years, all for
less than the cost of hiring one UN or World Bank
Consultant in Kabul for one year.
You will have an opportunity to see the film at these
festivals this fall:
Global Peace Film Festival, September 26-30,
Orlando, Florida, USA
Colorado Environmental Film Festival,
November 1-3, Golden, Colorado, USA
Arpa International Film Festical, November
2-4,
Hollywood, California, USA
The Ordinary Heroes of Afghanistan was produced
by the Barefoot College and Roughcut Productions with
support from a Skoll Foundation grant. The film premiered
February 2007 in New York with the
support of PopTech!, Green Guide and other sponsors.
And for media from other circles, click here for the CNN report,
Solar Power Makes Tiny Village
Beam, July 31, 2007 >
The Barefoot Approach Is A Global Initiative
The Barefoot College has trained over 340 semi-literate
men and women from 16 states in India and 9 other
countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Nearly 11,000
solar household systems and over 5,000 solar lanterns
provide clean energy and light to more than 125,000 people.
Over 1.67 million tons of carbon emissions are saved
annually as a result -- and each of these communities
enjoys light instead of darkness every night.
Solar Electrification December 2006
Summary >
Solar Electrification June 2007 Summary >
Barefoot College
Tilonia, Rajasthan, India
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