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Woman-Led Change

Barefoot College International puts skills and technology in the hands of marginalised women who become entrepreneurs, train others, and live sustainably.

We are Barefoot College International Swiss 


At Barefoot College International-Swiss, we exist to elevate women-centric models that empopwer the least served with greater opportunities to thrive and become community leaders around the world.

Mariatou

Location: Senegal

“I am very thankful to Barefoot College International and DP World, and to everyone who made this possible for me. I am grateful that I can bring light to my village, especially for those houses who could not afford solar panels. I cannot express how happy and grateful I am.“

Barefoot College International (BCI) is a global NGO that equips rurally remote communities with the tools and knowledge they need to become self-sufficient in clean energy, educational and economic resource access.

BCI does this by training women with the support of their communities as Solar Engineers, Educators and Entrepreneurs, and then equips them to fully solar electrify their communities, and to implement educational and economic uplift programs.

Our solar solutions combat climate change. Women and children are most affected by the negative aspects of climate change, and communities living in rurally remote poverty are often prevented from taking control of their development by their reliance on costly, environmentally harmful fossil fuels that also impact human health.

BCI’s programs are delivered through Regional Training Centres and their staff, on both a local and regional scale, and operate in nearly 100 countries worldwide.

At BCI we excel at transforming the lives of our beneficiaries for good, and our programs address 15 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We have more than a decade of experience implementing our uniquely fast, innovative upskilling model.

Visit Barefoot College International

Our Mission

Barefoot College International has harnessed the power of women to create lasting change globally since 2015. With the goal of increasing resilience and adaptability in the face of climate change, our programs have the capacity to foster resilience in communities that are the most vulnerable. Our solar, livelihood and ENRICH initiatives support the prosperity, opportunity and innovation that is innate in all women. With roots in India, Barefoot College International has now operated in nearly 90+ countries worldwide and has trained thousands of rural and indigenous women.

In alignment with the McKinsey study, we recognize the opportunity for women and girls to be the solution the world has been looking for. Often overlooked, their untapped potential is a boundless resource that lies at the center of all the work we do.

Our Approach​​

Energy access is the foundation for health, education, economic mobility, and community resilience. BCI tackles interlinked barriers to prosperity by combining:

• Reliable, self-sufficient clean energy access
• Education that enables communities to convert energy into development
• Vocational, financial and entrepreneurial training that accelerates long-term self-sufficiency
• Community-driven engagement, where women are selected and supported by their own villages
• Local and international partnerships that make programs sustainable and scalable

Our Approach: Solar

BCI’s approach ensures communities gain not just electricity, but the skills, confidence, and agency to drive their own development. We engage our beneficiares through this proven process:

Step 1

Selection

Women are selected for training with the full support of their communities. Each project is supported by a local ground partner and one or more international partners. 

Step 2

Training

Full Solar Engineering training takes place residentially for 3 months at the nearest BCI Regional Training Center. ENRICH is taught parallel to Solar Engineering so they can leverage clean energy into developmental growth.

Step 3

Installation

Women graduate and return home, where BCI fully equips them with all tools and solar parts for electrification. This takes 1-2 months and accounts for 50 homes electrified per Solar Engineer.

Step 4

Growth

Self-sufficient resource control means that BCI programs have an unparalleled long-term success rate. 

Our Approach: ENRICH

ENRICH is designed to empower marginalized individuals, especially women and youth by building the confidence, knowledge, and practical skills needed to unlock their potential, improve their lives, and lead positive change in their communities. ENRICH training is integrated into all BCI programs, including Solar Engineering and livelihood training, and is also offered independently as a stand-alone program when needed.

Leadership Skills

Social Equity

Financial Literacy

Health & Wellness

Digital Skills

Sustainable Living

Entrepreneurship Skills

Manu Singh

Global Lead, Life Skills ENRICH

When individuals feel safe, seen, and valued, they begin to unlock their true potential. My ambition for the Life Skills (ENRICH) program is to nurture that inner shift- to create spaces where mindset becomes the starting point for economic empowerment, climate consciousness, leadership, and social change that lasts for generations. To guide people from self-doubt to self-agency, from silence to Leadership.

Regional Centers: Training Aspirations Into Reality

Brenda Geofrey

Country Director, BCI-Zanzibar

“At Barefoot College Zanzibar, innovation fuels our impact. From training women as solar engineers to launching sustainable enterprises in sewing, beekeeping and regenerative agriculture we are creating income pathways and transforming rural communities.
With support from the Apple Academy, we have introduced educational mobile apps expanding access to knowledge across East Africa. This past year has been a journey of purpose, progress and powerful partnerships.”

Ny Sanda

Executive Director, BCI-Madagascar

“We took the time to truly listen to the women living around our training center: to observe their daily lives and understand their priorities. While continuing our mission to reach rural women in some of Madagascar’s most remote areas, we strengthened our field presence. These encounters gave deeper meaning to our work: a mission built with the communities themselves, now guiding our next strategic directions.”

Brenda Geofrey

Country Director, BCI-Zanzibar

“At Barefoot College Zanzibar, innovation fuels our impact. From training women as solar engineers to launching sustainable enterprises in sewing, beekeeping and regenerative agriculture we are creating income pathways and transforming rural communities.
With support from the Apple Academy, we have introduced educational mobile apps expanding access to knowledge across East Africa. This past year has been a journey of purpose, progress and powerful partnerships.”

Ny Sanda

Executive Director, BCI-Madagascar

“We took the time to truly listen to the women living around our training center: to observe their daily lives and understand their priorities. While continuing our mission to reach rural women in some of Madagascar’s most remote areas, we strengthened our field presence. These encounters gave deeper meaning to our work: a mission built with the communities themselves, now guiding our next strategic directions.”

Our Organization

BCI’s organizational structure relies on highly effective, decentralized and vertically integrated architecture.

All fundraising and funds are handled by BCI USA (501c3), BCI UK (Registered Charity) and BCI Switzerland (Registered Swiss Association) guaranteeing maximum tax efficiency for donors, and therefore maximum value for money to beneficiaries on the ground.

Ground operations and project implementation occur through the BCI Regional Training Centers which act as hubs to train women from all over the world whom BCI travels to and from their communities so that they can learn.



Staff on the ground are primarily local and supported by world class experts and BCI’s global staff in project implementation

Executive oversight is provided by the vertically integrated Global Advisory Board, drawn from all levels of the organization



Our Board

Hugh Stevenson

BCI Board President

John Cheesmond

BCI Board Treasurer

Milena Chijanovich

BCI Board

George M. Rehm

BCI Board

Miriam Levy Turner

BCI Board

Take Action 


We are actively seeking new corporate and philanthropic partners to help us power up new initiatives for 2025 and 2026. 

Contact US
To donate and support our mission, please click here:
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It's been a lot of fun for me, and being with older women has taught me a lot. I now have ideas to open my own business because having my own money is important. I can charge other villages for charging their phones, just like our village used to do before we had solar.
Mama AissataSolar Engineer Senegal
Mama Aissata
I never got to finish school, but the desire to learn never left me. When I found out there was a training program open to women my age, and completely free, I said yes immediately. It was finally a chance to pick up where everything had stopped. 

MamizenaSolar Engineer, a mother of six, in Madagascar
Mamizena
In this way I have found my super power. I don’t feel like a woman who is put down. I am empowered to do more and more. I can speak to anyone at any time and share how they can make their lives better. I am confident. Before, I never spoke to anyone before.
Fatma Juma HajiBCI Global Ambassador
Fatma Juma Haji

Miriam Levy Turner

Miriam Levy Turner is an experienced fiduciary and governance professional with more than two decades of expertise spanning fiduciary services, international corporate structuring, compliance, and logistics. As Director of Sanctuary Swiss – Sanctuary Fiduciary Services SA in Geneva, she provides personalized fiduciary and corporate administration, trusteeship, and foundation council services for both private clients and organizations of public utility. She also serves as Head of EMEA Governance, Legal & Compliance at Max Midstream Texas, where she oversees compliance and budgeting functions across the region. Previously, Miriam spent over 12 years as Director at Whitmill Trust (Suisse) SA, specializing in cross-border wealth planning and corporate administration. Her early career at Louvre Trust (Suisse) Sàrl gave her a solid foundation in client relations, compliance, and accounting.

Miriam holds advanced professional certifications with STEP – the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, where she earned her TEP designation and an Advanced Certificate in Fund Administration. Fluent in English, French and Portuguese, she combines technical expertise with cross-cultural communication skills. Beyond her fiduciary career, she contributes actively to the social impact sector, serving on the board of TRIAL International and having held leadership roles with the Giving Women Association. Her career reflects a consistent commitment to both professional excellence and social responsibility, and she brings the full force of her expertise to her work with BCI to improve lives.

John Cheesemond

John Cheesmond is a founder of Two Oceans Partners, focused on impact investment in natural and organic cosmetics, ingredients and nutrition in Africa. His prior experience includes Global Head of Finance at Ciba-Geigy, one of Switzerland’s largest global companies, EVP Ciba Specialty Chemicals, and CEO of Inolex Philadelphia, a cosmetic ingredient supplier. In the NGO sector, John served as CEO of Phytotrade Africa, a non-profit trade focused development organisation working across Southern Africa.

John has also served as Partner in Schroder Venture Lifesciences London, and as a Partner at Deloitte South Africa, as well as serving on numerous private boards, and a number of boards of public companies which are leaders in their fields, including: Hexcel (aerospace composites); Mettler-Toledo (scientific instruments); Orchid India (pharmaceuticals); and Cognis Dusseldorf (cosmetic ingredients). The linking themes in his career have been innovative science and finance, and a global outlook on strategy. John is a Member of The Explorers Club, Swiss Alpine Club and Mountain Club of South Africa. He has been a Governor of Aiglon College Switzerland, and holds an MSc from the London Business School.

Hugh Stevenson

Hugh is a Private Equity and Venture Investor, specializing in Healthcare, Healthcare Services, Biotech, and Software. He is a Founding Partner in Fulcrum Ventures (later Fulcrum Equity Partners); Fulcrum Equity Partners is a growth equity firm focused on providing expansion capital to rapidly growing companies, and it has been successfully investing in innovative high growth businesses since 2000. Hugh is additionally a Founding Partner of Chatham Capital, a mezzanine finance firm that concentrates on small to middle market companies with sustainable cash flow from operations, principally investing in healthcare, manufacturing, and service companies.

Hugh previously held senior executive positions in IBM, Silicon Graphics, Siebel Systems and Target Marketing Systems, ranging from System Engineer through to Global Head of Consulting (Siebel Systems), to Senior Vice President Open Systems, Europe (IBM), CEO (Target Marketing) and President (Silicon Graphics EMEA, SEA, and Swiss Manufacturing). Hugh has additional experience as a Board Member of IT and Biotech companies. He was a member of Stanford University Advisory Board for seven years, and was originally trained in Mathematics at the University of Glasgow, where he was the first in his family to go to university, achieving a BSc and MA before eschewing a PhD to pursue more functional business interests.

George M. Rehm

Mr. Rehm is a founding Partner of aeris CAPITAL AG, Switzerland and has over twenty five years experience as a lawyer and executive in international licensing, technology transfer, investment and privatization transactions, involving the US, Europe and Asia, prior to commencing his current career in 2000 in private equity. In this capacity, he currently holds board seats in GenomeDx, La Jolla, CA and Vancouver, BC, Dabo Health in San Francisco, as well as Jiff Inc. in Palo Alto, CA, and Butterfly Networks in Guilford, Connecticut. He also serves as Board Chairman of Sensovation AG, Radolfzell, Germany and as a director of TTtech AG in Vienna. In these board positions, Mr. Rehm has been actively involved in assisting portfolio companies in IPO`s onto the NASDAQ, reverse mergers onto the London Stock Exchange, international licensing transactions, development of IP strategy and product licensing transactions, as well as leading a major transatlantic financing round, in excess of $80 Million for Butterfly Networks. Over the past seven years he sourced and assisted in exiting investments in Ion Torrent, Crescendo Biosciences, ConFormis, Affimed Therapeutics, and Adamas Pharmaceuticals.

Prior to beginning his career in private equity in 2000, Mr. Rehm was legal counsel in numerous international technology transfer transactions, including transactions in China and Russia for Nutrasweet, Applied Materials, Monsanto, Spectra Physics, Dow Corning, Mitsubishi Heavy Metals, and Daewoo Electronics. He was engaged for over eight years in a law practice focusing on privatization and cross-border investment transactions in Eastern Germany, the Czech Republic and the former USSR, where he was responsible for managing law offices in Leipzig, Prague and Moscow, representing such companies as Xcel Energy, Allied Signal, and Alliant Tech Systems in investment and privatization transactions. Prior to this, he served as legislative counsel on foreign trade and European Investment to major US electronics industry associations (AEA, SEMI), providing testimony and representation for them before the US Congress, as well as representing the founding members of BIO. Mr. Rehm also served as chief European consultant to Bristol-Myers-Squibb on a clinical oncology care project, involving delivery of services throughout the EU. He received his BSFS from Georgetown University, and a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, completing course work in law and city planning and serving as research assistant and lecturer at the University of California-Berkeley, Earl Warren Institute. Mr. Rehm has written and lectured frequently in Germany and the US on international trade, investment, technology transfer, health care, and venture capital.

Milena Cvijanovich

Serbo-Swiss architect and founder of Milena C Designs, an interiors and architecture design firm based in Monaco and Miami, and Nomadessence, an eco-luxury products and services trademark label, Milena Cvijanovich has always been passionate about sustainable design, alternative energies, social entrepreneurship and business opportunities. With a MA in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and inspired by a physicist father, one of the first inventors of the solar panel, she is the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards in architecture and entrepreneurship. Milena has taught sustainability, sustainable luxury and cross-cultural design management and is now launching a Sustainable Luxury Lifestyle platform. Specialized since 1994 in eco-luxury architecture and design, Milena has created environments and consulted for luxury brands such as Patek Philippe, Blancpain, Beaufort Hotels, Intrawest, and numerous prestigious private clients. With partners worldwide, Milena also runs a sustainability and sustainable luxury consultancy and is involved in several projects in eco-luxury tourism, hospitality and wellness, fusing sustainability with the world of luxury and combining heritage conservation, environmental protection and social entrepreneurship with interesting investment opportunities.

Milena believes that as the world becomes more conscious of the responsibility we all have to the earth and to each other, sustainable luxury can, in fact, be an exciting, glamorous and creative solution to provide and enjoy the best life has to offer, while simultaneously supporting the preservation of nature and culture.