In Zanzibar, Tanzania, nearly half of the island’s 2 million residents live without electricity, relying on smoky oil lamps for light. For Hamna Silima Nyange and her eight children, studying after sunset was a challenge due to weak light and harmful smoke. That changed when her neighbor, Tatu Omary Hamad, installed solar panels through a program run by Barefoot College International.
Hamad is one of dozens of “solar mamas” trained locally to become solar power technicians, bringing light and sustainable energy to rural communities. Since the program’s start in Zanzibar, 1,845 homes have been electrified.
The six-month training program targets middle-aged women, often with little or no formal education, who return to their communities equipped with solar panel kits and the skills to maintain them. Barefoot College International prioritizes women with strong community ties and fewer childcare responsibilities, ensuring they can serve as local change-makers.
“We want to train women who become change makers,” said Brenda Geofrey, director of Barefoot College International Zanzibar.
One success story is Khazija Gharib Issa, an unemployed widow who is now a master trainer. “I got a job. I got a place to stay. Before, I didn’t have one,” she said.
The program also emphasizes health benefits, replacing kerosene lamps, which pose fire hazards, lung damage risks, and eye irritation, with clean solar energy. Health education is incorporated into the training so the women can share knowledge with their communities.
Barefoot College International has expanded its model across Africa, with campuses in Madagascar, Senegal, and Zanzibar, and recruits women from countries including Malawi, Somaliland, and the Central African Republic.
Challenges persist, including funding cuts from major donors and cultural resistance to women taking on technical roles. Some husbands initially opposed their wives’ training, but results speak for themselves.
“People used to say this work is for men. They were surprised and laughed at me,” Issa said. “But now they see how important my work is. I have become an example.”
The program demonstrates how empowering women with technical skills and clean energy solutions can transform communities, improve health, and create sustainable livelihoods.
