Rebecca Aseyo is a 33-year-old solar sales agent for Sun King Company, in Kakamega County, Kenya. Widow and mother of three children, she also takes care of her sister’s two children. Apart from selling solar products, Rebecca also sells second hand ladies clothes.
After a hard toil of sourcing funds to go to college back in 2007, Rebecca decided to try her luck into employment. Luckily, one insurance company in Kakamega identified her potential and offered her employment. Being a widow, an elder sibling and a caregiver to her sister’s children, Rebecca was committed to her work to cover her expensers. Indeed, after two years of working, she became the company’s top seller and she should have been rewarded with up to 10% of her sales. Thanks to her ambition and sales skills, she accumulated more than Ksh. 3 million (almost USD 30,000). Unfortunately, she was conned by her senior boss, who took her money.
This hit her really hard as she had already planned on how she was going to spend the money. But for the sake of her team members, she decided to stay strong. She quit the job immediately and started looking for a fast income generating alternative that would sustain her young family. She ended up landing a sales agent at Sun King Company.
During her first months at Sun King, her manager was impressed with her work, devotion and passion, she decided to refer Rebecca to a two weeks solar training, held at Strathmore School in Nairobi. At the training, she learned about solar wiring and installation processes. Thanks to these new acquired skills, she was successfully promoted as shop distribution agent, a position she is holding to date.
Meeting Practical Action was a turning point in Rebecca’s life. During her training, Practical Action supported Rebecca to acquire further business development and management skills. She applied for a loan of Ksh.300,000 (almost USD 3,000), which allowed her business to grow.
“I have used the loan to diversify my business and I am now selling solar products for other energy companies. I would love to set up my own solar shop soon. I am looking forward to new fundings, which will help me to accomplish this dream. Once I have all these in place, I will be able to save up college fees for my children, who are currently in primary and secondary schools”, says Rebecca.
Being the only female in Kakamega who does solar installations, Rebecca plans to train more women in her area because she believes in the potential and power of this sector. “I want the world to know that women can also take up on the roles that have traditionally been dominated by men. I want to end the belief that solar installation can only be done by men’’.
This story was created in collaboration with our partner, Practical Action in East Africa.
