Special exhibition for African first ladies: Government

NEW DELHI: While the 40-odd African leaders arriving in India in the next few days will be kept busy by the summit and bilateral meeting with PM Narendra Modi, the government is also looking to engage the first ladies accompanying them with a special exhibition of India's success in empowering semi-literate African rural women with sophisticated solar technology skills.

According to government officials, about 20 leaders are coming with their spouses. This special programme has been arranged for them at the behest of Modi and foreign minister Sushma Swaraj who, officials said, are going over the minutest of summit details. Ahead of the official opening of the summit on Monday, Swaraj and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also inaugurated an India-Africa Friendship Rose Garden in Chanakyapuri.

"Our partnership with Africa is unique and dates back to our civilizational contacts through ancient seafarers, traders, intellectuals and monks. Today, as one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, India is attaching the utmost importance to its economic engagement with the African countries,'' said Swaraj. While Moroccan King Mohamed VI arrived on Sunday, the main summit is on October 29 when Modi will make his first appearance at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium venue.

Based on the famous 'Barefoot' model, India has so far created 270 such solar engineers out of African women. Indian officials said these women have helped electrify 161 villages in Africa, covering 12,000 homes.

"Nowhere in the world has the Barefoot model had such a wide impact on empowering semi-literate rural women with sophisticated solar technology skills, on changing mindsets and producing new role models for rural Africa. We thought it was the right time to share the sustainability of the Barefoot approach with the first ladies of Africa,'' said an official.

According to the government, through the India Technical Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme of the ministry of external affairs between 2008 and 2015, illiterate and semi-literate women in villages all over Africa were trained in six months to function as competent solar engineers.

"The 270 solar engineers trained from 36 African countries are the only women solar engineers of their countries living and working in remote rural areas. They know more about practical fabrication, installation, repair and maintenance than any graduate coming out of any university or technical college after five years,'' the official said.

The first day of the summit will see a meeting of senior officials from India and all 54 invited African countries. On Tuesday, the foreign ministers will meet. The main summit comprising the plenary session will take place on Thursday. Modi is expected to have bilateral meeting with African leaders on Wednesday and also on Friday.