Barefoot College International About

Barefoot College International has worked tirelessly since 2015 to create lasting change for rural communities at the very last mile. In more than 93 countries, those that are suffering the worst inequalities and the worst challenges brought on by Climate Change, we offer our services to women and girls exclusively. We firmly believe that by educating and empowering more women, resilience and adaptability are fostered and proliferated across all regions and all cultures. This belief is becoming a reality through our Solar initiatives, livelihoods training, our Enriche curriculum and digital literacy programs.

It’s incredible what a boost in confidence, courage and knowledge can do. Women and girls, still so often overlooked in many societies, are in fact integral components to solving global issues, combatting climate change, and building better futures for everyone. Our programs are narrowing the gender disparity that is prevalent in many countries to ensure that the future is bright and hopeful. Our Swiss entity is dedicated to connecting people who resonate with our work to the rural women that Barefoot College International chooses to support. After programs are completed, we don’t stop our support. They’re offered further resources to help them to succeed while staying connected and networking them to relevant supply chains and clients.

There are still nearly 1 billion people that do not have access to grid electricity. They rely on harmful, risky alternatives such as kerosene lanterns, candles and wood burning. Solar electricity bypasses this lack of grid power and offers rural communities sustainable, clean and reliably-sourced light. The Barefoot Solar education initiative is offered to women only, to ensure that gender disparity is reduced and that graduates of the program are dedicated to giving back to their villages rather than migrating to cities with their newly acquired skills.

Whether they are illiterate with no formal training or are grandmothers, they are invited to train with us. All programs are designed so that anyone is able to learn the sophisticated knowledge of solar engineering. Once they return to their villages, they are provided with solar home lighting systems that they are responsible for assembling, installing and maintaining. Women return confident, determined and most of all, respected by their villages for their efforts to improve the quality of life in their communities.

The highly acclaimed McKinsey study confirms that by fully closing gender gaps the world could add $28 trillion to its annual GDP by 2025. That means that educating and empowering women is both a social and economic necessity if we are to gain global prosperity. Barefoot Enriche was designed to help close the gender gap with meaningful, carefully designed programs that work with grassroots communities holistically.

Barefoot Enriche addresses these 8 key areas of impact: self-awareness, women’s health, financial inclusion, digital literacy, environmental stewardship, human rights, micro-enterprise and livelihood skills. Remote rural communities deserve to have equal access to resources and opportunities. These opportunities are best offered to women, who are often the least served members of society today. As an experienced, grassroots-led charity, we are poised to create lasting systems change in the most resourceful ways possible. Our high success rate is backed by carefully tailored programs that are specific to the needs and challenges of the regions we work in.

Recognizing the need for food security worldwide, we are piloting agricultural initiatives across Africa that are regionally relevant. We are in partnership with local organizations that facilitate the production of honey, coffee, mushrooms, snails and cacao, for example. This initiative is growing quickly with the intention to boost resilience and promote sustained local economies and markets.