ZANZIBAR, Tanzania (AP) — Around half of Zanzibar’s population of 2 million people live unconnected from the electricity grid. But one program is training local women as solar power technicians to help light up Tanzania’s semi-autonomous archipelago. The Barefoot College International program is helping communities move on from smoky kerosene lamps. The lamps can cause health issues including eye irritation, lung damage and serious burns. The program is expanding to other parts of Africa but it faces challenges from cuts to foreign aid. And there has been some resistance in communities where a woman’s place has long been in the home.
By Jack Denton, Associated Press
Banner image: “Solar Mama” technicians walk on the campus of Barefoot College International in Kinyasini, Unguja, Zanzibar, July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Jack Denton)
This story first appeared on Mongabay
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