BCI Regional Training Center in Senegal has worked with female solar engineers to pioneer novel solar electrification technology that has enabled them to quadruple the number of homes it is possible for one cohort of solar engineers to electrify. An increase in solar electrification reach and economic uplift resulting in a 90% decrease in the use of fossil fuels, 70% decrease in ocular and respiratory illness; a 30% increase in educational attainment, and 50% increase in household income.
More than 600 million people lack access to electricity, forcing them to rely on fossil fuels, such as kerosene, for light. This causes severe ocular and respiratory health issues along with serious environmental harm. Lack of energy also means time and resource poverty because of limited daylight hours for work, children's education and travel. Solar solutions led by the community itself have proven transformative as a central point of impact.
New technology has allowed Barefoot College International to test improved solar products in Senegal that will quadruple the number of homes with electricity and the amount of available power for all. Women solar engineers trained at our Regional Center receive tremendous economic boost and spread the insights throughout their communities. These women also take ENRICH training to make her a leader and advocate for herself, her children and other women.
With our advanced technologies being piloted, micro-funding proves the efficacy of our new solutions and impact, so they can be delivered at scale throughout our regional training centers in Africa and beyond. Large-scale impact donors and corporations rely on this data and metrics that these micro-funding projects create.
