Islands in Transition:
Visions for a Just and Inclusive Energy Future
– The Case of Mayotte
Welcome to Mayotte!
Mayotte, a French overseas department in the western Indian Ocean, is renowned for its stunning volcanic landscape and the world’s largest enclosed lagoon. Yet, beneath this beauty, the island faces significant challenges: over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. Daily life is shaped by social tensions, the effects of climate change like water shortages, and an almost complete reliance on imported fossil fuels.
The MAESHA Project has taken on some of these challenges. In collaboration with a consortium of partners and the local community, it has developed innovative solutions. A key component is the creation of energy communities; while eleven were conceptualized, five were ultimately implemented.
This exhibition introduces you to four of these groundbreaking projects, giving a voice to the people who are shaping them. Discover how the people of Mayotte are redefining the island’s future.
At the beginning, these images offer glimpses of Mayotte — its lively streets, diverse people, unique traffic scenes, and lush natural surroundings — everyday moments that convey the island’s vibrant atmosphere.
Solar Mamas Energy Community
The Solar Mamas Energy Community was established to bring solar home systems and smaller solar devices to households without electricity access.
Four women underwent certified training on how to install and maintain solar equipment so they could offer energy-related services to the surrounding communities. They work with solar home systems as well as smaller household solar devices, such as solar lanterns.
An energy kiosk and a repair shop were set up where the Solar Mamas work, repair, and sell these devices to community members. This location serves as a community hub where members can receive equipment and advice. The Solar Mamas support people living in informal settlements made of corrugated iron by providing climate-friendly access to electricity.
Clean Mobility Energy Community
The Clean Mobility Energy Community was established to provide an alternative to fossil fuel-based car transport. Aside from school services and a ferry commuting between Petite and Grande Terre, there is no organized public transportation available in Mayotte. The project brought 150 zero-emission e-bikes into circulation, reducing air pollution, CO2 emissions, and traffic congestion.
Four youth from marginalized circumstances and with difficult educational backgrounds were trained to become e-bike technicians. They are currently the only e-bike technicians in Mayotte. The e-bikes are maintained, repaired, and rented out to anyone for short- and long-term periods during workdays.
The community consists of the e-bike technicians, e-bike users, staff of the social enterprise employing the technicians, as well as future users and the wider youth population on the island.
Student Awareness and
Mobilising Energy Community
The Student Awareness and Mobilising Energy Community is hosted at the University of Mayotte with the aim of mobilising action through climate change and renewable energy advocacy.
Students create local ambassadors for the energy transition and conduct awareness-raising workshops for their colleagues and the public. They come together to undergo the Climate Fresk Facilitator Training and develop communication materials in the local language.
Climate Fresk is a powerful, hands-on workshop that brings the complex science of climate change to life through a collaborative card game. Guided by a facilitator, participants work together to build a visual mural, connecting the causes and effects to understand the bigger picture. This shared experience sparks crucial conversations and empowers individuals to move from knowledge to meaningful action.
Students become facilitators and, in turn, conduct Climate Fresk workshops for other students and pupils. Workshops typically include one or more groups of around 10 students or an entire high-school class. They thereby continuously grow the number of community members and their reach across generations and the island.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 957843. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Social Housing Energy Community
The Social Housing Energy Community is embedded within a resettlement program that relocates marginalized communities from informal settlements made of corrugated iron into low-cost dwellings, known as social houses.
Residents typically stay for two to three years, during which time they are prepared for life after social housing. Training, awareness-raising, and integration activities are provided to support them in becoming self-sufficient members of society.
Six of the thirty social houses (housing 30 families in total) are equipped with solar panels. Social workers collaborate with the families, conduct the activities, and highlight the link between basic needs and electricity access. The solar panels serve as an example of how to address the basic need for energy using a renewable and climate-protective source.
The income generated from the feed-in tariffs for the electricity helps fund the community’s training and activities, as well as the maintenance, repair, and continuous operation of the solar panels.