We're on a mission to help women bring solar energy to their communities
At Women Light The World, our mission is to educate and empower economically disadvantaged women and their families, living in remote underdeveloped communities in Nepal and other 3rd world countries, to build sustainable futures for current and future generations.
“Our vision is to bring solar energy and internet access One Household at a Time, and One Village at a Time”
Harnessing the power of the sun, we seek to bring light into each household. The larger goal, is to provide a stable internet connection, to enable further economic progress and advancement in education.
We’re sending women to India to become “Solar Engineers” or known as “Solar Mammas” in order to bring solar power to their communities and to “Bring the World to Each Community” by the use of internet access.
The deeper our investment in women, the further our impact across the spectrum of Sustainable Development Goals.
Solar Mammas working in nearly 100 countries are impacting 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Guide Lines by the UN in 2016 a model of planetary Transformation that is already offering a model of planetary transformation that is already in bloom.
"When you tell a women she is
capable of producing light, she
understands the power it will
have in her life and, perhaps more
powerfully, the life of her family."
- Brenna, Coordinator at Women Light the World and Southeast Asia Coordinator at Barefoot College
How Are We Doing This?
Women Light the World have entered into a collaboration with Barefoot College in Rajasthan, India and Responsible Treks from Kathmandu, Nepal to bring Solar Energy to 1,219 households across 28 Villages from the poorest and remotest areas of Nepal – Humla – see details for the scope of the project under the corporate donation page.
“Poverty is complex. You can’t address a complex problem with a linear solution. You need a network. We are entering a time where you collaborate or you fail.”
When a Solar Mamma turns the lights on in her home community, a virtuous cycle of transformation gets underway:
Economic activity increases dramatically
Children study three times longer than previously
Health outcomes and persistent health concerns improve immediately
Environmental sustainability is catalyzed
Disaster response and mitigation strategies are set in place
Gender roles are challenged and in most communities overcome
During a six 6-month solar training program at Barefoot College, we will train 25 + semi illiterate and illiterate women that may be literate and illiterate over the next 5 years to become Solar Engineers or known as “Solar Mammas,” so that each women is fully equipped with the skills and knowledge to fabricate, maintain and repair solar systems and upon their return home completely competent to manage the entire process of installation and maintenance within their respective community.
Alongside the 6 month solar training course, the women have a supplemental training program called ENRICH. This curriculum includes 200 + hours in the following subjects:
Self-Awareness
Women’s Health
Financial Literacy
Digital Literacy
Environmental Stewardship
Human Rights and Civil Society
Livelihood and Micro-Enterprise Skills