Barefoot College International – Who They Are and What They Do

Barefoot College International (BCI) is a global non-profit organisation that has been working for over five decades to deliver community-led, sustainable solutions in some of the world’s most remote and underserved rural areas. At the core of BCI’s approach is a simple yet transformative idea: transferring practical skills and technical knowledge directly to marginalised people – particularly women – so they can drive long-term development within their own communities.

BCI is internationally recognised for its model of training rural women as Solar Engineers, enabling them to assemble, install, maintain and manage decentralised solar energy systems without reliance on conventional electricity grids. Through this approach, access to renewable energy becomes a catalyst for improved health, education, gender equality and local economic resilience.

What NEF Does with Barefoot

NextEnergy Foundation partners with Barefoot College International to promote access to clean energy as a driver of sustainable development, social inclusion and climate action. The collaboration is grounded in a shared vision: renewable energy as an enabling right, capable of generating lasting impact well beyond electrification alone.

Through this partnership, NEF supports a community-based solar energy project in Zanzibar that combines technical training, women’s empowerment and rural electrification, contributing to a scalable and replicable development model.

The project focuses on the training of one woman from a rural community in Zanzibar as a Solar Engineer, Educator and Entrepreneur at the Barefoot College Zanzibar Regional Training Centre.

Key project components include:

• Three months of residential training in solar engineering, alongside ENRICH+ modules covering functional literacy, digital and financial skills, health, women’s and human rights, environmental sustainability and micro-entrepreneurship;
• Provision of tools and equipment enabling the Solar Engineer to operate independently upon returning to her community;
• Solar electrification of approximately 50 households, using solar home systems and portable solar lanterns;
• Establishment of a Rural Electronic Workshop and a Village Solar Committee, ensuring local ownership, fair remuneration, maintenance capacity and long-term financial sustainability.

Following electrification, the Solar Engineer delivers educational and vocational activities, leveraging reliable energy access to support social and economic development at community level.

Expected Impact

Drawing on Barefoot College’s experience across more than 4,000 rural communities globally, the Zanzibar project is expected to generate measurable and lasting benefits, including:

• Up to 98% reduction in the use of fossil fuels for lighting;
• Significant decreases in respiratory and ocular health issues linked to kerosene and candle use;
• Lower household energy costs and increased disposable income;
• Improved educational outcomes, with children able to study safely after dark;
• Enhanced economic opportunities, safety and social status for women, through technical skills, income generation and leadership roles.

The project delivers direct benefits to hundreds of people, with wider indirect impact reaching surrounding communities through knowledge sharing and local economic growth.

Through their collaboration, NextEnergy Foundation and Barefoot College International demonstrate how decentralised solar energy, when rooted in community ownership and women’s leadership, can deliver inclusive and climate-resilient development.