Category: Uncategorised
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Bringing Light To Her Community
Patricia Shayo waves her arm over the 200 orange trees she planted on her new plot of land, purchased with her earnings from Solar Sister. Patricia’s glossy black hair is drawn back in fashionable flat twists. Kanga cloth of orange, turquoise, white, and deep blue drapes over her shoulder, bringing out the warm tones in…
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COVID-19 second wave: Sanu Maya fighting for her business to survive this phase
With the announcement of the second lockdown in April, Sanu Maya prepared herself and her business for this second wave. She stored the necessary grocery supplies for the shop and started to resume the activities and services needed over the first lockdown when she was providing grocery, milk supplies and chickens. Along with these, she…
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Resilience and hope: Chini Maya looks beyond COVID-19
Chini Maya had to bear a huge loss in the first wave of COVID-19 because she had to halt her Nepali Paper Factory and Dhasingre Oil Company. She was forced to close her business for 7 months. She had a lot of oil and paper in stock, as she could not sell paper and pure…
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From a farmhand to an independent energy entrepreneur: Everlyne’s journey
After trying her hand at many businesses and jobs in order to support her family, Everlyne Murenjekha finally made her niche as an energy entrepreneur in Kakamega County, in Kenya. She is now a successful clean energy entrepreneur, specializing in the installation and assembling of improved cook stoves and selling of portable solar products. For…
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Millicent Odira inspires other women to challenge gender norms
Millicent Odira, a clean energy entrepreneur from Migori County’s Rongo location, Kenya, is a true proof that when women and girls have equal opportunities as men and boys, they are formidable actors in economic development and social transformation. Mother of six, she was motivated into the energy business after seeking a stable job without any…
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ENERGIA’s Covid-19 solidarity fund helps Awa realise her dreams of expansion
The last six months have been riddled with uncertainty for Awa Sene. When the state of emergency in Senegal was lifted and life returned to a semblance of normality last autumn, she still faced operational and financial challenges. Awa had started out as a grocer in her home village, then diversified into a much more…
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Aissata Ba takes pride in keeping up her business in the face of obstacles
It was with some trepidation that Aïssata Ba approached the onion season at the start of this year. The previous few months had seen a lifting of government restrictions, but by mid-January, following a new surge in Covid-19 cases, a curfew was imposed in the regions of Thiès and Dakar. Anxiety was rife amongst the…
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Never give up!
“Last year my oil factory and paper production businesses were going very well but the outbreak of COVID-19 forced me to halt my business. However, the situation did not scare me off. I started growing and selling vegetables with the support of my daughters and still managed to have good earnings.” In Nepal, a country-wide…
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Sanu Maya’s entrepreneurship skills helped her to keep her business running
During the first lockdown in Nepal, no one was ready to sell chickens in the Bhardev area. However, Sanu Maya, a young owner of a poultry farm, planned her business ahead. She was able to sell all her chickens at a very competitive price. In addition, she was able to sell milk from her milk…
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Women can be agents of change!
Chini Maya is an ambitious and experienced entrepreneur, owner of a paper production company. She strongly believes that with the proper knowledge and skills, anyone can become an entrepreneur. If they try, women can do anything. They’ve become drivers of change. It’s all up to you. My goal is to ensure that all women in…
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Bouncing Back in Business Amidst a Pandemic
For most families in Kenya, the holiday season in December is devoted to traveling upcountry to spend time with loved ones and extended family members. However, for Rebecca Aseyo, the last time she recounts visiting her relatives in the village during the December holidays was way before she ventured into the solar installation business. “December…
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Access to affordable business capital
Activities to strengthen Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) carried out through Practical Action’s Women’s Economic Empowerment project have enabled Millicent Akinyi Dula to sharpen her leadership skills for the VSLA Rarieda Technology Advisors Women Group (RATAD), of which she is the chairperson. “Ever since I was appointed as the chairperson, I’ve gained skills and…