They’ve done it! 12 women from among Guatemala’s most remote communities have shifted gender paradigms, broken stereotypes and graduated from a technical training programme, ready to become solar engineers
The graduation ceremony is buzzing with family reunions, official visitors and marimba booming from the speakers. The pathways of the training centre are covered in pine needles, a traditional symbol of Guatemalan festivities, and Barefoot staff are busy welcoming guests, such as Víctor Hugo Ventura, the Minister of Energy, who has come with other government representatives to join the celebration. We also welcome members of the National Institute for Electrification (INDE) and the Municipal Directorate for Women from both Nebaj and Chajul.
Families have traveled long distances to be here and there are daughters, sons, grandchildren, husbands, parents, sisters and brothers clearly in awe of the achievements of their graduating family members.
The graduation ceremony begins with an official address from Bárbara Pérez Felices, Barefoot College Guatemala’s Director, and from Minister Ventura, both of which are translated simultaneously into Ixil by our ENRICH Coordinator, Ixmukané. The Minister states, “Energy is a fundamental part of life. Thanks to Barefoot College and the women who have completed this programme, these families are now going to have a better quality of life, especially the children who will be able to study at night. Having access to electricity is one of the biggest drivers transforming our communities and society.” There are still 377,000 homes in Guatemala today that don’t have access to electricity.
One of the graduating class, Cecilia, also demonstrates her public speaking and leadership skills by giving an address, thanking the Barefoot team, the World Food Programme coordination, the Minister of Energy and her peers, as well as everyone present. She says, “at first, we didn’t believe that we would be able to do it, but here we are, now graduating and ready to take the solar panels to our communities!” The rest of the cohort then make a memorable entrance, dancing the traditional son two-step dance while carrying baskets of sweets that they throw out to the audience after finishing their celebratory performance.
After the handing out of graduation certificates, our inspiring Master Trainer Juana, herself a graduate of the programme from a remote Ixil community in Nebaj, gives a tour of the amenities. She shows off the Barefoot manual in the classroom, as the entire audience gathers around to get a closer look at the soldering tools, solar equipment, Diva lanterns, bulbs and charge controllers. She clearly explains the methodology of the Solar programme, highlighting the first steps to understand solar-generated electricity and how we manage to engage and teach a multilingual community of non-formally educated women from rural communities.
Finally, María and Petrona from the Santa Clara community give a demonstration of the installation of the charge controller and the four bulbs connected to the solar panel, in anticipation of the 25 solar installations each graduate will soon complete in their communities. Over the coming months, the 12 solar engineers will install 350 solar home lighting systems in 7 communities without access to the electrical grid, directly improving the lives of approximately 2000 people.
Thank you and congratulations
to Cecilia, Sara, Zenaida, María, Alejandra, Petrona, María, Rosa, Juana, Magdalena, Margarita y Jacinta for becoming solar engineers who will bring light to their communities and inspire other women to become local change-makers.