The Ministry of Energy and Mines is sending four grandmothers from remote rural communities to India to learn to build artisanal solar panels. The women are 36 to 47 years old and are from the communities in Las Matas de Farfan and Carrera de Yegua in San Juan de la Maguana province. The women have at least four children each and several grandchildren.
They will take part in India’s Barefoot College electrification program that has been implemented in 64 countries around the world.
The program began in 1989 and has been helping to harness the sun’s energy to help rural communities thrive through applying solar energy solutions for solar electrification, hot water, solar cookers and fresh drinking water through solar-powered desalination.
Once the women return they will become instructors to promote the program in their rural communities, said Minister of Energy and Mines Pelegrin Castillo.
The announcement was made after Castillo’s meeting with visiting Minister of State of India Retired General Vijay Kumar Singh. Singh also expressed interest in supporting the development of small hydroelectric plants. During his visit, he said a memorandum of understanding for future contributions in renewable energy would be signed.
http://www.barefootcoollege.org/solutions/solar-electrification
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