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And there was light in Ambakivao!

Ambakivao is the first village in the Menabe region to be part of the “Barefoot College for Madagascar" initiative, which supports remote rural communities in sustainably benefitting from modern lighting and electricity.

Since the journey of their four grandmothers Remeza, Kingeline, Yollande and Hanitra for a solar energy training in India in 2016, the villagers of Ambakivao have been waiting for their solar electricity fairy. Today, it is there. In this small village in the Tsiribihina Delta, located on the west coast of Madagascar in the heart of the mangroves, which now shines brightly, day and night, since the beginning of December.
 
The community of Ambakivao works daily, with the support of WWF, for the sustainable management of nearly 3000 hectares of mangrove forests. Access to solar electricity helps them take a new step towards sustainable socio-economic development, with a clearer vision of their future.
 
Ambakivao is the first village in the Menabe region to be part of the “Barefoot College for Madagascar" initiative, which supports remote rural communities in sustainably benefitting from modern lighting and electricity. First launched by WWF in the country, the initiative is gradually gaining momentum as a part of the collaboration between the Indian and Malagasy governments, in particular with the financial support of the European Union through the energy program of the Indian Ocean Commission.
 
"Every year, the Indian embassy sends grandmothers, illiterate women from remote villages to the Barefoot College in India. They learn how to construct small equipment based on solar energy. They also learn how to repair these equipment", says Sir Digjivay Nath, head of the Indian Chancellery in Madagascar. After their six months training, they provide electrification in their village.
 
For Gilbert Romain, chief of the Menabe region, "Ambakivao is today the pride of Menabe. And it is an accomplishment for all of us, the fruit of our joint efforts. Since the departure of our grandmothers to India until the arrival of the solar equipment in this village, the administration has worked hand in hand with WWF. Other villages in Madagascar will follow our example. "
 
By 2030, the Malagasy government has set the goal of training 744 women from isolated rural villages in solar technology, so that 630,000 households across the country can access modern lighting and electricity.