Solar Sister to Womens’ Rescue
Solar Sister, a United States-based social enterprise, is in Nigeria to empower women economically by training them as distributors of solar products.
Nigerians may soon have access to alternative power source. Solar Sister, a social enterprise focused on providing communities with clean energy technology through solar panel systems, is in Nigerian to make the products available to households. Solar Sister is also out to empower Nigerian women as it has successfully done in other parts of Africa. Accordingly, the women would be the main distributors of the products which are lamps, solar cell phone chargers, business kits and clean cooking stoves. Besides, women will also benefit from entrepreneurial training that would enable them manage the business effectively.
Katherine Lucey, founder and chief executive officer, Solar Sister, told Newswatch that her organisation came up with the idea of solar facilities for women after a research discovered that energy needs in the world outstrip supply. According to her, about 1.6 billion people – more than one-fifth of the world’s population, don’t have access to public source of electricity. Instead, they rely on other means of lighting such as kerosene and candles. In Africa, it is estimated that more than 600 million people do not have access to public power supply.