Economic Empowerment
Six women from three remote and far flung villages in Mtwara and Lindi districts in Southern Tanzania have helped to bring a new way of life to their communities after training as solar engineers.
Today, women in these remote villages can cook on improved stoves by solar lamp light; children are able to do homework in the evenings; and security has improved.
Through a project supported by UN Women in collaboration with Tanzania’s Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children, the women were sent to the Barefoot College in Tilonia, India, for six-months of training on Solar Electricity Installation and Maintenance. This is part of the UN Women-Barefoot College India “Rural Women Light up Africa” initiative.
The trainees included Esha Mohamed Mwanga and Fatima Mohamed Mzungu from Lindi; and Arafa Mwamba Halfani, Mariam Issa Luwongo, Sofia Hamisi Mnandi and Amina Hassani Nachungulu from Mtwara.
At the end of six months the trainees pass out as Barefoot Solar engineers. As per prior agreements, the ‘graduates’ go back to their respective villages and electrify the households with solar lighting units and assume the responsibility of repair and maintenance for a minimum of 5 years. Barefoot solar engineers play a key role in sustaining and replicating solar technology in rural communities.
“We would like to thank UN Women, the Ministry and the government of India for their support and we hope this will be a challenge to other women who want changes and want to eradicate poverty,” said Luwongo upon completion of studies. Another trainee, Arafa Halfani, said they were happy with the new skills and that they would use them to help the communities around them.
The women who are illiterate, poor and never travelled outside Tanzania, had within weeks of returning home, managed to set up a solar electricity system for the three small villages of Chekeleni, Nitekela and Mkwajuni. Already, 69 households in Chekeleni village are now lit up by solar power. The women are working to complete the electrification of the other two villages.
They did not work alone. The women have benefited from the program since solar power installation becomes their employment in which villagers pay the women when they need their homes to be installed with solar power. Additionally, members of the community are paying for their equipment in installments over a five-year period.
For that they receive one 20 watt solar panel, one 12 volt battery, one charger and three nine watt lamps.
Many other people in the rest of the hamlet and neighbouring villages have expressed interest in this pilot project.