Mothers have always been at the heart of Barefoot College. Our achievements to date would not have been possible without the courage, perseverance and belief of rural mothers and grandmothers who journey across the world to work with us and to become Solar Mamas. 

Our partnership with Envision Virgin Racing is an exciting new step in supporting and celebrating these women and the work we do as part of Envision Virgin Racing’s Race Against Climate Change, and the commitment of this initiative to amplifying work – such as the training of Barefoot Solar Mamas – that improves renewable energy resources around the globe.

I am a Heading

This partnership started in style when Envision Virgin Racing invited a group of our Mexican Solar Mamas to the Mexico E-Prix, and then themselves visited the remote coastal village of Cachimbo, Mexico, to see how life has changed for the better since Solar Mamas returned to the community and brought with them clean solar energy and the tools to leverage it for the future.

WATCH: “Meet The Inspirational Solar Mamas Who Are Bringing Light To Their Families”

Envision Virgin Racing has documented the incredible journey of Norma Guerra and the Solar Mamas project in Cachimbo, Mexico, in this short documentary. The story showcases the impact that just one of our Solar Mamas can have on an entire community. 

Managing Director of Envision Virgin Racing, Sylvain Filippi says: “What they do is absolutely incredible. It’s one of those projects that leaves you lost for words. The skills they learn, and how they do it, is amazing and ones they can hopefully pass on to the younger generations. We all need to transition to renewable energies and what these ladies are doing is proof that it can be done no matter who you are or where you live.”

Sue Stevenson, Director of Global Partnership says: ‘‘This wonderful partnership demonstrates that we all have a key role to play in the race against climate change, be we a state of the art E Racing organisation or a grassroots grandmother from rural Mexico. It’s a privilege and a pleasure to be able to work with Envision Virgin Racing to improve lives in this way.’’

For updates from Barefoot College and to find out how you can support the work we do for women and communities around the world, please sign up to our newsletter and visit our Donate page.