The Indian High Commission in Suva has announced a significant milestone in its mission to electrify 2,800 households across 14 Pacific Island nations.
As part of this initiative, the Barefoot College India and Locally Managed Marine Area Network have brought solar power to 27 additional homes in Vidogo Settlement, Suva. This brings the total number of electrified homes to 367, with only 33 remaining to reach the 400-home target.
The project also aims to provide vocational and educational opportunities for women and girls in marginalized communities, fostering climate, economic, and social resilience.
Barefoot College International, which operates in over 2,000 villages across 93 countries, has trained 77 women as solar engineers across 13 Pacific Island nations, enabling communities to access clean water, sustainable livelihoods, and renewable energy.
In 2022, the Fiji Barefoot Vocational Training College (FBVTC) was launched to combat climate change and advance energy independence in the Pacific.
During a visit to the college construction site in Wainikoro Village, Macuata, then Minister for Women, Children, and Poverty Alleviation, Rosy Akbar, highlighted the significance of the initiative. She also emphasised that access to technical training and economic programmes for women is a crucial step towards self-sufficiency and sustainability.
Barefoot College first identified the Pacific Islands as a key area of focus in 2012. Since then, it has expanded its renewable energy and livelihood development projects across Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Palau, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.
The organisation’s mission is to empower rural women by providing them with technical skills and economic opportunities, ensuring long-term resilience in vulnerable communities. Through these efforts, Barefoot College continues to illuminate lives while fostering sustainable development across the Pacific.
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