Illiterate or semi-literate grandmothers were trained to repair solar systems, open rural workshops, and light up homes that still depended on kerosene.

Written by Flavia Marinho

Published on 15/06/2026 at 18:20

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Solar Mamas Program shows how rural women learn solar energy in practice, bring light to isolated villages, and reduce the use of kerosene inside homes

Women, grandmothers, and matriarchs who are illiterate or semi-literate were trained to repair solar systems, open rural workshops, and light homes that still depended on kerosene. The information was released by Barefoot College, a civil society organization in India.

The Solar Mamas program, known in Portuguese as Mães Solares, trains matriarchs from the Global South to assemble, install, and repair solar lanterns and home lighting systems. The initiative was created for communities far from the common electrical grid.

In practice, the training places marginalized women at the center of a clean energy solution. They cease to be just residents of villages without light and start taking care of the installation and maintenance of the equipment.

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Women without a diploma learn solar energy in 6-month training

The program selects women from remote villages without electricity to become community solar engineers. In this case, the word engineer is linked to the practical mastery of technology, not a university degree.

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The training lasts 6 months and takes place in a residential setting. Participants learn to design, manufacture, install, and repair solar products used in simple homes.

The learning involves solar lanterns and home lighting systems. This means a set of parts, wires, lamps, and components that allow the house to be lit using sunlight as an energy source.

Rural workshops help villages not to rely solely on outside technicians

After the training, the new professionals return to their communities with equipment and spare parts. This point is essential because many isolated communities cannot easily call technicians.

With this material, they set up rural electronics workshops. In these workshops, they can manufacture, assemble, install, maintain, and repair solar systems used by families in the village.

The difference lies in the local presence. When a light bulb fails or a part needs to be replaced, the solution does not depend solely on someone coming from afar.

Houses without solar energy still use kerosene as a light source

In houses without solar energy, kerosene appears as one of the main energy sources. This fuel is used to light environments but can generate cost, smoke, and risk within small homes.

The arrival of residential solar light changes the routine of families living off the electrical grid. The lighting allows for studying, cooking, working, and moving around the house more safely at night.

This impact is simple to understand. A solar-powered light bulb can reduce fuel dependency and make daily life less limited by darkness.

Barefoot College registers 1,708 women trained in 96 countries

Barefoot College, a civil society organization in India, records that 1,708 rural women from 96 countries have been trained by the program. These women have brought electricity to over 75,000 homes.

The institution also notes savings of about 45 million liters of kerosene. This data helps show why the program is treated as a solution linked to clean energy, income, and family health.

The training in solar lanterns began in 1966, with support from solar energy pioneer Pierre Amado. In 2000, the training of community solar engineers was launched in 6 Indian states.

When technology becomes autonomy within the community itself

The case of the Solar Mothers draws attention because it breaks a common idea: that technology can only be mastered by those who have undergone long academic training. The program shows another path, based on practice, repetition, and direct use in daily life.

The Solar Mamas program, known in Portuguese as Mães Solares, trains matriarchs from the Global South to assemble, install, and repair solar lanterns and residential lighting systems. — The **Solar Mamas** program, known in Portuguese as Mães Solares, trains matriarchs from the Global South to assemble, install, and repair solar lanterns and residential lighting systems.

This does not diminish the importance of formal engineering. The point is different: in isolated places, a simple and well-maintained solution can be as important as a large project far from the population.

When women from the village itself learn to take care of the systems, the community gains autonomy. The light no longer depends solely on companies, external technicians, or long distribution networks.

Solar energy becomes a tool for income, light, and respect for rural women

The training of the Solar Mamas also changes the role of these women within the communities. They come to master a technical activity, take care of important equipment, and help other families.

The program combines renewable energy, practical training, and rural infrastructure. These three points explain why the story has strength beyond curiosity.

In regions without an electrical grid, the arrival of a solar system does not just mean a new lamp. It can mean more study time, less spending on kerosene, and more safety at home.

The Solar Mamas program shows that solar energy can reach isolated villages through women who were previously left out of technical training. They learn, return home, and keep the lights on where the electrical grid does not reach.

The story also raises an important reflection for countries with remote communities: could local solutions, taught simply and practically, illuminate places that large structures have not yet reached?

Do you believe a similar model could help isolated communities in Brazil? Share your opinion and share this story with those interested in clean energy and real solutions.

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Illiterate or semi-literate grandmothers were trained to repair solar systems, open rural workshops, and light up homes that still depended on kerosene.

Solar Mamas Program shows how rural women learn solar energy in practice, bring light to isolated villages, and reduce the use of kerosene inside homes

Women without a diploma learn solar energy in 6-month training

Rural workshops help villages not to rely solely on outside technicians

Houses without solar energy still use kerosene as a light source

Barefoot College registers 1,708 women trained in 96 countries

When technology becomes autonomy within the community itself

Solar energy becomes a tool for income, light, and respect for rural women

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Illiterate or semi-literate grandmothers were trained to repair solar systems, open rural workshops, and light up homes that still depended on kerosene.

Solar Mamas Program shows how rural women learn solar energy in practice, bring light to isolated villages, and reduce the use of kerosene inside homes

Women without a diploma learn solar energy in 6-month training

Rural workshops help villages not to rely solely on outside technicians

Houses without solar energy still use kerosene as a light source

Barefoot College registers 1,708 women trained in 96 countries

When technology becomes autonomy within the community itself

Solar energy becomes a tool for income, light, and respect for rural women

Mother and daughter build a 70 m² house with more than 8,000 discarded glass bottles and impress with their creativity; known as the Casa de Sal, the property is located on Itamaracá Island, in Pernambuco.

Workers were opening a new road connection near the Marginal Tietê when they found, in the underground of the construction site, remnants of locomotives, wagons, and boilers from the 19th century linked to the forgotten history of Lapa.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

Greek island offers free housing for volunteers, but there’s a condition: you need to take care of rescued cats.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

China has deployed snake-shaped robots to slide along power lines, where they have already inspected over 130 kilometers of cables using cameras and sensors to detect damaged wires, worn-out parts, and overheating.

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