country: Africa
-
Persistence, Passion, and Grit Define The Journey
Solar Sister Entrepreneur Onyinye Onye Ndimele will be the first to tell you that reliable energy is cause for celebration in the bustling market town of Awka in the Igbo heartland of southeast Nigeria where she lives with her husband and three children. Electricity was available before, but, without warning, it would go off for…
-
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…
-
Women’s work is never done: Lifting the gendered burden of firewood collection and household energy use in Kenya
In rural Kenya, firewood is used for cooking and heating by 9 out of every 10 households due to its affordability, availability and convenience. This study was carried out using social and natural science methods to understand women’s energy burdens and the reasons for the persistent use of firewood. Firewood remains the main source of…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Keeping alive the dream of opening a briquette production center
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya affected many small scale businesses and Millicent Akinyi Dula’s clean cooking equipment venture was not spared. Sales from her company that sells and installs improved stoves reduced from the previous average of 20 pieces per month to 8 pieces, as most of her customers postponed buying due…
-
Getting back to business: new emergency fund brings Covid-19 lockdown relief to struggling women entrepreneurs in Senegal
Hundreds of women entrepreneurs in Senegal who have suffered devastating loss in business as a result of the pandemic are beginning to regain their livelihoods thanks to a new emergency fund set up by ENERGIA, the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy. The fund will provide 69 companies (comprising 594 women entrepreneurs) much needed…
-
A recovery plan for Aïssata Ba amid fears of a second wave
The last six months have often seemed like a rollercoaster for Aïssata Ba as she tries to keep her market garden business afloat. As soon as the Senegalese COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in June 2020, Aïssata rolled up her sleeves and brought her land back to life by using a new blend of poultry dung,…
-
I am just a step away from my dream!
When Covid-19 hit the country back in March and the government of Kenya in coordination with the Ministry of Health ordered the closure of borders and introduced curfew hours, Rebecca Aseyo thought her dreams would come to end. Two months before the pandemic outbreak, she had been employed as regional sales representative by Star Times,…
-
Living in ‘survival mode’ during the lockdown
Since the lockdown was imposed at the onset of the pandemic in Senegal, Awa has seen her turnover fall from an average of USD 340 per month to between USD 70 and 110 per month. As schools closed down, market activities got suspended and travel restrictions were imposed, Awa’s customers faded away. Her mentor advised…