The Shift
The Old Way: Credentials Before Competence
Traditional development assumes the poor need outside experts. This creates dependency: when experts leave, systems break.
- 1.5 billion people globally live without electricity
- Traditional development creates dependency on outside experts
- Grid extension may never reach remote villages
- Women and grandmothers dismissed as unable to learn technical skills
The New Way: Train Grandmothers, Electrify Villages
Barefoot College identifies remote villages, asks communities to select grandmothers aged 35-50, and trains them for 6 months using sign language and color-coded circuits.
- Sign language and color-coding: no literacy required
- Target grandmothers: they stay in villages, have community trust
- Community ownership: villages pay monthly fees, form solar committees
- Train-the-trainer: Solar Mamas train others
The Story
Founded in 1972 by Bunker Roy after rejecting a corporate career and discovering solutions to rural poverty exist within communities themselves.
Barefoot College trains rural women (especially grandmothers) to become solar engineers and community leaders.
Proof Points
From 96 countries since 2000
By trained grandmothers globally
From polluting the environment
For illiterate grandmother to become certified solar engineer
Deep Dive
Innovation
Barefoot College recognized that formal education is often a barrier, not a requirement. By stripping away credentials and literacy requirements, they unlocked talent traditional development ignored.
Circular Model
Villages don't receive free systems—they form solar committees and pay monthly fees (typically equivalent to kerosene spending) to cover maintenance and the Solar Mama's salary.
Community Impact
75,000+ children have received education through solar-lit night schools. Women gain status and income. The model has reached 96 countries, including 35 UN-designated Least Developed Countries.
Business Results
Barefoot College is funded by government partnerships (India ITEC program), foundations, and donors. Villages trained 20 years ago continue operating solar systems with no outside support.
Key Takeaway
The biggest barrier to development isn't lack of resources—it's our assumptions about who can learn, lead, and innovate.
Founder Pathway
Training center setup requires modest capital; village programs are self-funding