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Solar Power! Project
Mothers
and
Grandmothers
Trained to be Solar Electrical Engineers
Marième Bamba’s community, the village of Soudiane in rural Senegal, isn't connected to the Senegalese national electricity grid. Unfortunately, the village of Soudiane is not alone. In areas south of the Sahara, as few as 2% of villages have access to electricity: a major obstacle not only in daily life, but also for the development of these communities.
The Tostan Solar Power! Project, launched in 2009 in collaboration with the
Barefoot College
in
India, aims to address this issue by empowering rural communities across Africa to provide (low-cost and sustainable) electricity for themselves.
Through the Solar Power! Project, Tostan sponsors women from rural Africa to attend the Barefoot College in India, where they complete a
six-month training program
in solar electrical engineering. The training is comprehensive, providing participants with the knowledge and skills to install, maintain and repair solar panels.
Back in their home villages, each solar engineer installs one solar unit in at least 50 homes, providing each family with:
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one fixed lamp,
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one bright solar lantern,
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one LED flashlight,
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and one plug for charging mobile phones.
That means at least
400 people
directly benefit from the work of one Tostan-Solar Sister - with thousands more benefitting in the years to come.
Each woman is then able to train women from neighboring rural communities in solar electrical engineering, spreading the impact of the program and providing each engineer with a means of income. For women like Doussou Konaté, who farmed millet and peanuts to earn a low income to support her family, the opportunity to earn an income as a Solar Power Trainer is absolutely life-changing.
Meet some of the first Tostan-Solar Sisters from Senegal and Djibouti!
In 2009, the first Tostan-sponsored ‘Solar Sisters’ – twelve extraordinary women nominated by their villages in rural Senegal and Djibouti – travelled thousands of kilometers from Africa to India, to undertake training at the Barefoot College to become solar power engineers. We’d like to introduce you to a few of these formidable women:
Marième Bamba
from Soudiane, Senegal, is best known for two things: her contagious smile and passion for her community. You can read more about Marième and her active role in Soudiane's development
here
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Doussou Konaté
is a mother of 6 from Deur Simbara, Senegal. Before the Tostan CEP was implemented in her village she had never been to school. Thanks to the Solar Sister project, Doussou is now a fully trained solar power engineer helping to lead the development of her community: to read her story, click
here
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FEATURE ARTICLE: The Long Journey in Search of Light: the Solar Sisters' return home
FEATURE ARTICLE: Solar Sisters' Trip to the Airport
Innovative Project Taps Rural African Women as Solar Engineers
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