DP World expands ‘Solar Mamas’, training first rural Angolan women
DP World has expanded its long-standing ‘Solar Mamas’ partnership with Barefoot College International (BCI) to Angola for the first time, enabling rural Angolan women to join a programme that has previously trained participants from Senegal. As part of this expansion, four women from Kwanza Sul have completed a three-month course at BCI’s Training Academy in Dakar, equipping them with the skills to bring reliable solar lighting to their communities.
The Solar Mamas programme provides hands-on training in basic solar engineering, giving women the tools to become solar technicians and community energy leaders. With the addition of Angola, DP World has now supported a total of 32 women in sub-Saharan Africa through the initiative.
In collaboration with local communities and DP World Luanda, BCI selected the participants from Quilenda municipality in Kwanza Sul to participate in a three-month training course at BCI’s Training Academy in Dakar, Senegal. Representing the villages of Quipungo, Songoriapemba, Massange and Kazombo, the women were chosen for their courage to enter a field traditionally dominated by men, their willingness to learn, and their determination to drive change in their villages.
During the programme, they were taught essential solar energy and entrepreneurship skills, equipping them with the knowledge and tools needed to start their own micro-enterprises and provide solar energy solutions within their communities. The training, delivered by Barefoot College International from September to December 2025, has prepared them to install, operate and maintain solar power systems, while also building their confidence as local leaders.
Esha Mansingh, Head of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability: sub-Saharan Africa at DP World, said: “This initiative plays a vital role in DP World’s overarching strategy to promote sustainable development and empower local communities in the areas where we operate, with a particular focus on women and education. We are proud to have supported a total of 32 women to complete the BCI training so far, and we congratulate the latest cohort of Solar Mama graduates from Angola on this significant achievement in their lives.”
By expanding the Solar Mamas programme in Angola, DP World and BCI are committed to developing holistic solutions to enhance women's lives, combat poverty, and foster sustainable communities. Around one billion people worldwide still lack access to electricity, and many development initiatives rely on complex technologies that are often not viable in rural areas. The Solar Mamas initiative equips women in underserved communities with practical, hands-on skills that overcome language and literacy barriers, enabling them to install and maintain solar systems in their villages and to earn an income from these services – thus offering clean energy solutions, new economic opportunities and supporting a just transition to a low-carbon future.
Karine Sar, Director: Barefoot College International, Senegal, said: “The fact that uneducated rural African women can - in the span of three months - become trained as solar technicians, is a testament that there is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish when we take charge of reshaping and improving society.”
This first Solar Mamas project in Angola under the DP World Luanda partnership reinforces a long-term commitment to inclusion, clean energy and community growth, and marks the beginning of a sustainable, inclusive future for rural communities in Kwanza Sul and beyond.