14th October 2015

ITEC Day 2015

ITEC is the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme of the Indian Government.  It is under this programme that ladies from the HBPS rural production centres are able to apply to go to Barefoot College in India for 6 months training to become solar engineers.   It’s a great opportunity for them but also for the villages they come from, since when they return and solar power is brought to the village, these solar grandmas become the engineers who keep the power running for the whole village.

Hathay Bunano were able to facilitate 4 solar grandmas to go to Barefoot College last year and they returned early this year and were part of these wonderful celebrations by the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh at the Bangladesh International Conference Centre in Dhaka.   Just a few weeks ago a further 4 women have travelled to Barefoot College in Tilonia, India, to take the same training and they are due back to Dhaka early 2016.

 

Solar grandmas from HBPS talking about their experiences at Barefoot College

The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, HE Mr Punkaj Saran, opened the proceedings and explained about the ITEC programme.   The Honourable Commerce Minister of Bangladesh, Mr Tofayel Ahmed, was the chief guest.    The solar grandmas from HBPS were delighted to be an integral part of the proceedings and talked on the stage about their experience at Barefoot College and how they are now looking forward to their village getting solar power and the huge benefits that this will bring to the whole village.    The ITEC programme is really a programme at the grassroots level to bring much needed technical skills to these rural village women and we were all delighted to be a part of this.    Huge congratulations to the solar grandmas.