Barefoot College Latin America: Rural Solar Electrification and Women's Empowerment in Guatemala

Through localised solar engineering, livelihood training and participatory education, Barefoot College Latin America delivers innovative programmes to support rural women as agents of change.

Guatemala has the biggest gender gap in Latin America when it comes to labour participation and employment, and these inequalities overlap with limited access to energy, education and health services.

Our transformative and unique approach provides non-formally educated women from rural areas with the skills and opportunities to become solar engineers who bring light to their communities. The empowerment of rural indigenous women is the key solution that supports our vision of long term social, climate, gender and economic justice and resilience in Latin America.

Since launching our regional training centre in the Maya Ixil Region of Guatemala in 2022, we have trained 34 women, who have solar electrified 825 homes, ensuring self-managed and sustainable energy access for 4,500 people and reducing gender inequality through investing in local women’s leadership. Already with established community ties and partnerships in the Quiché and Huehuetenango departments, we now aim to expand our community engagement and train more women from other parts of the country with the most intersecting energy, socioeconomic, educational and health needs.

Ours is a scalable, replicable model that positions women as changemakers with the knowledge, skills and training to improve their lives and transform their communities. Our solution places power into the hands of rural communities, enabling them to illuminate their own path to a sustainable future.

Support Barefoot College Latin America at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ barefoot-college-guatemala

Learn more at:
https://www.barefootcollege-guatemala.org/
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