JAPAN and the WORLD Magazine JANUARY ISSUE 2016 #Issue 14

PHILIPPINES WOMEN EMPOWERMENT Philippines has a population of more than 100 million people spread over 7,000 islands, presenting several electricity infrastructure challenges. Currently, the country is facing growing concerns over resource adequacy in its power sector, as the nation is challenged to add supply quickly enough to keep up with growing demand. A persistent power shortage across the Philippines has led to rolling blackouts that cause businesses, consumers, and wage- workers to suffer, especially in rural areas. One of the projects run by Barefoot College facilitated a training in solar engineering–a skill that is not only sustainable and empowering but actively useful to their communities. This sends a message of support for the sectors of Philippine society that is most affected by social and economic inequity: Indigenous peoples, rural communities, and women. Four women from an Aeta indigenous group in rural Philippines were trained as solar engineers in India. From left to right: Evelyn Clemente, Sharon Flores, Cita Diaz, and Magda Salvador. Credits: Jeannette Andrade エンパワーメントはみんなのために！ EMPOWERMENT FOR ALL! WHEN EDUCATION MEETS INDIGENOUS WOMEN フィリピンの先住民の女性たちが教育に出会った時 Evelyn Clemente, Sharon Flores, Cita Diaz, and Magda Salvador–now aptly called the “Solar Lolas”—are back in the country after attending a six-month training course on solar engineering. Four women from an Aeta indigenous group in rural Philippines were trained as solar engineers in India. This has changed everyday reality in a small village in the Philippines, were these women bring the light to many lives. フィリピン農村部のアエタ先住民の女性4人がインドでソーラー・エンジニアリングの研修を受けた。彼女らはフィリピンのある小さな村落での日々の現実を一変させ、多くの人の人生に明かりを灯すことになったのである。 37 // JANUARY 2016 E velyn Clemente, Sharon Fl ores, Cita Diaz, and Magda Salvador–now aptly called the “Solar Lolas”–are back in the country after attending a six-month training course on solar engineering. Barefoot College was founded in 1972 by Sanjit “Bunker” Roy, one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2010. It seeks to teach illiterate and unskilled individuals to make and use technology that can benefit their respective communities. In 40 years, it has already trained more than three million people from rural and depressed areas in developing countries, enabling them to acquire employment opportunities for the modern world. Beyond bringing a sustainable source of energy to their communities, their training has also uplifted the way they look at themselves as indigenous people. “We’ve changed a lot in the past six months. While we never received an education, through the help of Barefoot College we were able to show people that we can learn and be capable of other things. “We’ve changed a lot in the past six months. While we never received an education, through the help of Barefoot College we were able to show people that we can learn and be capable of other things. During the training course, the Solar Lolas, who can neither read nor write, learned how to fabricate, install, repair, and maintain solar equipment at Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajastha, India. Thanks to the program four Aeta women had spent six months learning to build, maintain, and repair solar-powered lamps as a part of their training for impoverished women. “At first, we learned how to make solar charge controllers, solar lanterns, and solar mobile phone chargers. Then, near the end of our training period, we also learned how to make other products like mosquito nets and sanitary napkins,” shared Clemente, 50 years old. The women, all grandmothers, trained at school that focuses on building sustainable communities by teaching rural women technical skills in areas traditionally dominated by men. These include dentistry, metalworking, and solar engineering, according the school’s website. As the 12th-largest nation in the world, the On a broader scale, the four women experience JAPAN AND THE WORLD MAGAZINE

JAPAN and the WORLD Magazine JANUARY ISSUE 2016 #Issue 14 | Page 38