By Politico Staff Writer
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Country Office has showcased its intervention with the Barefoot Women Solar Engineer Association of Sierra Leone (BWSEASL) to the UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed, who visited Sierra Leone over the weekend.
The visitation to the BWSEASL by the UN chief on Saturday, November 14th, was part of a two-day official visit to Sierra Leone, according to UN officials, who added that the mission to the country was part of a solidarity mission to West Africa and the Sahel Region.
Besides Sierra Leone, Ms Mohamed was scheduled to visit Nigeria, Niger, Ghana and Mali, to deliberate on how to restore the economies of the countries post COVID-19, in consultation with governments, development partners and civil society.
Mariatu Swaray, UNIDO’s Country Representative, noted that the UN Country Team believed that a firm commitment and sustained investment in human capacity development is important in attainting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“A major intervention of UNIDO in this regard is the strengthening of the capacity of the Barefoot Women Solar Engineers Association of Sierra Leone (commonly known as Barefoot College), to deliver on its mandate of serving as the key implementing partner for the Government of Sierra Leone’s flagship programme on Rural Electrification through Solar Energy,’’ she stated at the event.
She added: “Realizing the untapped talent and the skills of the Barefoot women and their ambition to lift up not just your own families, but communities and create opportunities for economic prosperity of rural women; UNIDO has been providing technical and capacity support to them. We continue to support them to start income generating enterprises in the renewable energy sector, become active proponents of energy efficiency and renewable energy approaches with a clear understanding of the issues and act as positive agents in their communities.’’
Swaray went on to note that other UN agencies such as FAO, UNDP, WFP, UN Women and UNFPA were also supporting similar programs that build the capacity and empower women, stressing that UNIDO is not a new player in the use of renewable energy in Sierra Leone.
Ms. Mohamed commended the women for their initiative.
“This is fantastic and what we really want is to see that people get dignity back in their lives. These women have just shown us that the sky is the limit and they can do better with given opportunities,’’ she said.
Haja Nancy Kanu, Chief Solar Engineer/Manager, Barefoot women, expressed her appreciation to UNIDO and other UN agencies that have been supportive of their initiative.
“I am from a family that doesn’t enroll their girl child to school, but even though I am illiterate, I can do what even the ones that went to college can do. I am very honored to be here as the UN has been supportive to us,’’ Kanu said, adding: “We the Barefoot women have left a mark in Sierra Leone. When it comes to solar engineering you cannot talk about solar engineering in Sierra Leone without mentioning the work of Barefoot women. We have done a lot and we have been helping other graduates and people in university to do the technical component of solar energy.’’
The Barefoot women association was formed in 2010 by an Indian named Sanjit Bunker Roy, when he visited Sierra Leone and deemed its fit to mobilize the entire barefoot women solar engineers he had trained at the Barefoot College, Tilonia in India.
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