Page 50 - EducationWorld August 2022

Cover Story

Global Solar Mamas project

unique initiative of Barefoot College (BC), Tilonia which During their stay here, women from abroad are thoroughly
has won tremendous international goodwill and ap- trained not only to assemble and repair electric circuits —
A eciation for India in the third world — where Indian which contain 35 components — but also to connect them
r
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diplomats have a reputation for sanctimonious lecturing about with bought out solar panels and storage batteries and to
how to further the cause of international peace, justice and de- install and maintain integrated solar energy units back in their
velopment, unmindful of their own shabby front and backyards villages. The training programme is based on learning-by-
— is its sustained programme doing and presents com-
for training women barefoot so- munication challenges, as
lar engineers from developing the trainees are usually il-
nations, and Africa in particular. literate and don’t speak any
Introduced in 2005, thus far language but their own.
the Solar Mamas programme, The diplomatic impact
which mainly trains elderly and in terms of goodwill for the
middle-aged women on the government and people of
premise that they are invariably India generated by BC’s
more committed to their village Solar Mamas programme
hearths and homes, has ‘gradu- is worth many multiples of
ated’ 1,708 solar mamas from the annual expense (Rs.2-3
26 countries including Kenya, crore) incurred. While they
Zambia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, are here, elderly women
Chad, Bur-kina Faso, Congo as from all over the world not
also Colombia, Jordan, Gautemala and Peru. Under this unique only train to become solar engineers, but also learn about
programme, illiterate and semi-literate women are interviewed rainwater harvesting and witness the socio-economic changes
and selected and flown into BC campus in Tilonia, where they of BC's education and women’s empowerment programmes
undergo a six-month residential training programme under first-hand. “When they return to their villages and communi-
the supervision of a BC-trained Indian faculty of 25 master ties, they become agents of change and development. And
trainers including eight women. In a refreshing departure from in the nights when their villages are lit up while surrounding
traditional diplomacy, the entire travel, food, lodging and train- areas are in darkness, presidents, prime ministers, dictators
ing expenses of foreign solar mamas are borne by the Union and policy makers notice and hopefully, are inspired,” says
ministry of external affairs. Bunker Roy.

to provide farmers with “knowledge, its management’s unethical and dis- programmes for Solar Mamas. Their
information and climate positive prac- honest track record since then. They senior staff live in cities and come oc-
tices”. The company has established a hacked the BC website and tried to casionally to Harmara on the pretext
major office in Mumbai, and the app hijack our logo and trademark. A that they work from home. It’s only a
will be hosted on its ambitious digital cease-and-desist legal notice was sent question of time before they abandon
platform. “It will be a game-changer to them to stop exploiting and abus- their rural staff who will have nowhere
for rural India,” predicts Fallone. ing the global brand and influence of to go. They have a Rs.50 lakh salary
Although Fallone believes that BC but that didn’t stop them. A case bill every month with 70 percent paid
BCIL is a 2.0 version of SWRC/Bare- has been registered in the Delhi high to paper qualified professionals who
foot College committed to similar ob- court,” says Roy. live in the nearby town of Kishengarh
jectives, and that the two institutions Since 2021 when SWRC/Barefoot and cities across India. The govern-
have mutually agreed to take different College announced a clean break from ment of India has taken a dim view of
paths to attain similar goals, Bunker BCIL, Roy has made grave charges of their poor-quality work in Africa and
Roy — promoter of BCIL when it was funds defalcation, cheating and iden- establishment of Barefoot Vocational
registered as a non-profit under the tity theft against Fallone and the BCIL Training Centres (BVTCs) in Senegal.
Companies Act, 2013 — is outraged management. According to Roy, since Burkina Faso, Liberia and Tanzania.
by Fallone’s “hijack” of the company. BCIL employees were evicted from the Severe action is going to be taken
“I was one of the founder members Tilonia campus, the national head- against them,” says Roy.
of BCIL when it was registered under quarters of BCIL comprises seven 40 ft The bitter split in Barefoot Col-
the Companies Act in 2015. It was an containers in Harmara village. “They lege has occurred at an unfortunate
act of good faith. But I deeply regret don’t run any schools or training time when urban-rural inequalities

50 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2022