Barefoot Grandmothers Install Solar Power

The expression "Teach a Man to Fish" might now
be replaced by "Teach a Rural Grandma to Install Solar Power."

Mahatma Gandhi's central belief was that the knowledge, skills
and wisdom found in villages should be used for development
before getting skills from outside.

Barefoot College in India has implemented his message,
training rural people to be solar engineers.

They found that the best candidates were middle aged women.
Reading skills are not necessary - they are trained without
using the written word.

Worldwide, they have brought solar expertise to over 750 villages,
that's over 19,000 households that lacked electricity in 19
countries!

The most powerful aspect? Upon returning home they establish
workshops, teaching others in the village to install, maintain
and repair the systems.

See this powerful video about our changing world!



Share The Knowledge - Spread The Light

Mahatma Gandhi’s central belief was that the knowledge, skills and wisdom found in villages should be used for development before getting skills from outside. He also believed that sophisticated technology should be used in rural India, but it should be in the hands and in control of the poor communities so that they are not dependent or exploited while maintaining or replacing this technology.

Barefoot College in Rajasthan, India has implemented this message of Gandhi’s since it's inception. The only fully solar electrified college in India started training rural people to be solar engineers in the 1990's.

They found that the best candidates were middle aged women. Reading skills are not necessary - nor is understanding any Indian language. Here they train women from other parts of the world, such as Africa and Asia using color codes and sign language!

These women learn to install and maintain solar powered home lighting systems in their villages. They have electrified 350 villages in India alone.

Worldwide, they have brought solar expertise to over 750 villages -- to over 19,000 households that lacked electricity in 19 countries!

They offer a 6 month training period, and when they go home they establish workshops in their villages to install, maintain and repair the systems - and the most powerful aspect: they teach each other.

The new: "Teach a man to fish" is "Teach a barefoot Grandma to install solar power."

--Bibi Farber

UPLOADED FROM Next World TV
Common Sense Solutions - Starting Now

FULL CREDITS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THE ORIGINAL CREATERS AND/OR UP-LOADER/S OF THIS VIDEO. THANK YOU

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! PLEASE READ: THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON & CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED. NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED! "FAIR USE" "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• nextworldtv
• Energy
• Barefoot
• Grandmothers
• Install
• Solar
• Power

[BigAlxr7007]

The solar systems they build should feed to the power grid and they should be paid for what they do with the money they get from the power company

[kheck100]

How long can you learn how to install solar system? Can I go and learn how to do it? I want to help my country's poor villages. They have the same problem as India villages. Is there any way I can go and learn how to help my people? please email me at rkheck@yahoo.com

[marthale7]

@MyttenBG Yep. It is because they will only support the products the company sells, and not what they worker can make for themselves. Drug companies don't need healthy people, the need repeat clients. It is for this reason they do not seek a cure but a dependent user. I am glad in this video they have success in helping those that need it.

[MyttenBG]

Isn't it strange how all over the world no matter the place or the people leading the program it always seems that the millions of dollars on all sort of so called development and community programs never quite reach the people they are intended for? It's almoust like a rule no matter what anytime the goverment is involved in something it's something like an exeption when normal people get any real benefit from it. It's always the elite and corporations that get the funding and benefits.