Masai Women Are Leading a Solar Revolution With Help From Their Donkeys

Just two years ago, the villagers of Magadi, Kenya, had to light fires at night or burn expensive kerosene so their children could read and do their schoolwork—that is, when they weren’t tasked with guarding the village livestock from leopards and hyenas making their stealthy attacks in the dark.

Energy poverty is a major problem in this region; Magadi is so far off the country’s power grid that people have to walk almost 10 miles to charge their phones at a station that’s open only one day a week. 

But these days, groups of Masai women are leading a renewable energy revolution. Hauling solar devices on donkeys from village to village, they’re transforming the lives of locals with light and power, thanks to a program launched by renewable energy developer Green Energy Africa.

The women are provided with energy-efficient lights, solar panels, and rechargeable batteries at a discount, which they in turn sell for a profit. They are also trained to help install the panels and lights in individual homes. To date, 200 women are participating across five village groups; together, they’ve installed solar-powered units in more than 2,000 homes.

Indeed, enlisting the sun is the perfect solution for this arid, sun-soaked African country.