When Roxana Borda Mamani returned to her Amazonian village during the pandemic, Alto Mishagua had no reliable energy and no internet. Five years later, the village has a 400W solar system, a school, and 24-hour satellite internet—thanks to a student-led effort with global support and a vision for community-powered change.
This local initiative, called Aylluq Q’Anchaynin or “the energy of the community,” is part of a growing movement across Latin America where villages are ditching diesel and taking energy into their own hands. While massive renewable energy farms often overlook or displace communities, these grassroots solar projects offer autonomy, sustainability, and connection. In Bojayá, Colombia, solar power now keeps a school running. In Ecuador, the Achuar people are using solar-powered boats to support education and tourism.
Despite hurdles like Colombia’s slow-moving energy communities program, momentum is growing. Activists are calling for these community-led transitions to take center stage at climate summits. With sunlight as their guide, these communities are rewriting the future on their own terms.