Seva Kendra Calcutta’s gender mainstreaming project for solar lighting

Seva Kendra Calcutta, with funding from Misereor E.V. Germany, initiated a project in 2015 on Natural Resource Management addressing Climate Change by Gender Mainstreaming through Solar Technology. The main objective of the programme is to improve energy security for about 1 400 families from 16 villages in the district of West Midnapur and to create new income opportunities for Adivasi women by training them in the use, production and marketing of solar powered lights to create sustainable livelihoods. As part of the project activity, hands-on-training to 402 tribal women to assemble solar lanterns, mini lights, home lighting system along with their installation, maintenance and fault detection was provided. As a result, in fiscal year 2018-19, 265 female technicians took up assembling solar products as their full time occupation and have even earned a profit of INR 581 952 (EUR 6 718); and the figures are steadily increasing. Moreover, 4 055 solar lanterns were sold and their use has had a notable impact in the CO2 reduction.

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