Kate Riley Kate Riley

The Solar Mamas

We supported Barefoot College International in a convening of indigenous women and government leaders to support a new training center in Bajul, Guatemala.

The eldest solar mama, Julieta Tzoy aged 69, who had no formal education but says she ‘wants to learn forever’.

For over a decade, Barefoot College International has been working to share their innovative model in Latin America, and a new training campus for rural women has finally come to fruition in Bajul, Guatemala.

This unique program trains indigenous women to be solar engineers, or ‘solar mamas’, who will help bring new light and energy to their remote villages.

In 2021, We helped to support the first convening of indigenous women, the Embassy of India, Republic of Guatemala, and Barefoot College International. Due to their outstanding work, they have since been awarded the Presidential Environmental Medal for their work.

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