Solar Sister

Website | Email

Solar Sister eradicates energy poverty by empowering women with economic opportunity. We combine the breakthrough potential of clean energy technology with a deliberately woman-centered direct sales network to bring light, hope and opportunity to even the most remote communities in rural Africa.

Investing in women is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. Solar Sister creates sustainable businesses, powered by smart investment in women entrepreneurs. When you invest in a woman, you invest in the future. Join us by making an investment in a Solar Sister Entrepreneur today.

 

Challenges

- Capital financing
- Transportation to long distance
- Competition from the non - quality products

These challenge exist because of geographical spread out of Tanzania villages due to access
in land possession for farming and livelihood activities, also easy government policies on importations and quality assessment. Most entrepreneurs especially women lack collateral to access loans to start up their business due that, most women have no rights on wealth possession in the family.

 

 

 

Solution and innovation

We provide women with economic opportunity, training and support to distribute clean energy to underserved communities in Africa. Women entrepreneurs after receiving training, they buy products – sell to their communities- earn income, improve livelihood and help their communities for get away from energy povery by stop using kerosene lanterns, increase their night work efficiency, better health, children can study at night hence improve education performance at school..

 

 

Results

Ongoing monthly training, coaching and mentoring provided to women entrepreneurs help to add more skills and capacity for women to grow their business and problem solving skills.

Story: Hilaria Paschal

Hilaria Paschal is a Solar Sister from Tanzania. She was Solar Sister’s very first entrepreneur in Tanzania in 2013. Hilaria sells cookstoves and solar lights to her community, bringing affordable energy technology to her neighbours– she has sold 259 products so far reaching over 1,200 people.

Now, when you walk with her down the street, she’ll point to house after house and say “They are one of my customers”. Hilaria uses her Solar Sister income to help pay her children’s school fees, aided by the income from her basket-weaving business (she weaves in the evenings by solar light!).

Hilaria tells us that her Solar Sister business has helped her build business and leadership skills that she uses for both her enterprises. Now, in addition to her own work at Solar Sister, Hilaria helps mentor other women at Solar Sister as a group leader in her area– bringing economic opportunity to more women in Tanzania. Read more here.