A powerful new chapter in women’s empowerment and clean energy has begun in Angola as DP World expands its acclaimed Solar Mamas programme to the country for the very first time.
Four pioneering women from Kwanza Sul have successfully completed an intensive three-month solar engineering training at Barefoot College International’s Training Academy in Dakar, Senegal, returning home equipped to transform their communities, one solar panel at a time.
The milestone marks Angola’s debut in a programme that is already changing lives across sub–Saharan Africa.
With this latest cohort, DP World has now supported 32 women through the Solar Mamas initiative, helping them become skilled solar technicians, entrepreneurs and community leaders.
Selected in close collaboration with local communities and DP World Luanda, the four women hail from the Quilenda municipality in Kwanza Sul, representing the villages of Quipungo, Songoriapemba, Massange and Kazombo.
Chosen for their courage, determination and readiness to break into a male dominated field, they travelled to Dakar to take part in a life changing learning experience.
During the programme, delivered by Barefoot College International from September to December 2025, the women received hands on training in solar engineering and entrepreneurship.
The practical, visual teaching approach, designed to overcome language and literacy barriers, prepared them to install, operate and maintain solar power systems, while also building the confidence needed to run micro enterprises and serve as trusted energy leaders in their villages.
Esha Mansingh, Head of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability sub–Saharan Africa at DP World, highlighted the broader impact of the initiative.
“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,” she said.
The expansion of the Solar Mamas programme comes at a critical time. Around one billion people worldwide still lack access to electricity, with rural communities often excluded from development initiatives that rely on complex or unsuitable technologies.
Solar Mamas offers a practical alternative, placing clean, reliable energy solutions directly in the hands of local women, while creating income generating opportunities and supporting a just transition to a low carbon future.
Karine Sar, Director Barefoot College International, Senegal, underscored the transformative power of the programme, stating:
“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.”