Barefoot College Latin America (Guatemala)

Barefoot College Latin America

Barefoot College Latin America is a Guatemalan-registered civil association committed to advancing climate, gender and economic justice in Latin America. Founded in 2023, the organisation provides solar energy solutions and women’s empowerment training for rural, off-grid communities. Its programmes train non-formally educated women as solar engineers capable of electrifying homes in their communities using clean, sustainable energy. Alongside technical training, Barefoot College Latin America delivers a holistic curriculum focused on financial literacy, health and wellbeing, leadership, and sustainable living, ensuring long-term impact for marginalised communities.

In 2025-2026, the Eurofins Foundation is supporting the project “Holistic Community Development through Rural Solar Electrification and Women’s Empowerment in the Guatemalan Highlands.” This initiative seeks to address energy poverty and gender inequality in some of Guatemala’s most underserved regions, where thousands of households still lack access to electricity and women face systemic barriers to education and economic participation.

The project responds to urgent challenges in the Maya Ixil region and beyond, where indigenous communities experience high levels of poverty, illiteracy and vulnerability to the effects of climate change. In Guatemala, 377,000 households remain without electricity, and reliance on kerosene and wood-burning stoves contributes to respiratory illnesses and environmental degradation. By linking clean energy access with women’s empowerment, the project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve health outcomes, and create pathways for gender equity and climate resilience in areas historically excluded from national energy plans.

To achieve these goals, the project will train 12 women as solar engineers and electrify approximately 300 homes, benefiting 1,650 people directly. The grant from the Eurofins Foundation will fund the training of two women engineers and the installation of solar home lighting systems in 50 households, reaching 275 people with light for the first time. By equipping women with practical and leadership skills, the project ensures sustainability and fosters community-led solutions that transform lives while protecting the environment.

This project contributes to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals