Presenter - Simbo Sojinrin

1. Solar Sister Presentation
(Partners in Energia's WE Programme)
Smart Villages workshop held in Accra 23rd -25th May, 2016

2. How does energy poverty affect Nigeria?
• Only 36% of the total population in
Nigeria has access to electricity at
present
• In rural areas, which form 50% of total
population, electricity access is only 24%
• 70% of those affected by energy poverty
are women and girls
• Families spend 30-40% income on
household energy
• More than 67% of Nigerians are
dependent on biomass for cooking
• Women have a greater exposure to
Indoor Air Pollution, the 3rd highest
killer in Nigeria
Energy Poverty is a
gender Issue

3. Solar Sister Solution
Solar Sister is eradicating energy poverty by empowering women
with economic opportunity.
A woman to woman distribution network for portable clean energy
technology solutions

4. How it works
Solar Sister is strengthening the complete ecosystem for increasing
women’s access to sustainable energy and opportunities

5. Solar Sister’s Building Block # 1 :
Strong Upstream Supply Chain

6. Solar Sister’s Building Block # 2:
Gender Inclusive Workforce Development
Our Values: Sisterhood, Grit, Trust
 Advancing Women’s leadership at all levels – CEO, Board Chair, Staffing
 Recruit, Train & Support team for distributed operations : women form 90% team
 Local green job creation and enterprise skills development for women

7. Solar Sister’s Building Block # 3:
Consistent & Quality support to Solar Sister Entrepreneurs
 Dedicated staff to Recruit-Train-Support Solar Sister Entrepreneurs
 Business, leadership, technology and agency based empowerment training
 Almost 600 registered Solar Sister Entrepreneurs in Nigeria

8. Solar Sister’s Building Block # 4 :
Partnerships
 Community as partner, champion and customer
 International Partners such as Energia International Network on Gender and Sustainable
Energy
 Grassroots Partnerships with women’s groups, savings associations, education, health and
conservation focused local organizations.
Women’s Economic
Empowerment (WE)
programme

9. I
M
P
A
C
T
Source: HOW SOLAR SISTER BRINGS LIGHT, HOPE, AND OPPORTUNITY TO WOMEN IN AFRICA,
A qualitative assessment by the International Center for Research on Women, 2016

10. Source: Solar Sister’s 2015 End of Year Sample Survey
Benefits of being a Solar Sister Entrepreneur : More than an agent

11. Power of Sisterhood
Solar Sister Sadia
Abdallah started as a
customer. She
enjoys being a part
of the sisterhood
group and their
friendship.
Solar Sister Grace
Kimaro has invested
income to hire a
tractor for her farm.
Solar Sister Mwunaidi
Msuya’s children study
longer with solar lights,
and her income helps
with school fees.
Solar Sister Grace
Mbwambo heard of
Solar Sister business
through her savings
group, and joined to
increase her income.

12. get involved?
» Support Scale up of Solar Sister’s women energy
Entrepreneurs network towards 2020 goal of 5000 Solar
Sister Entrepreneurs across Africa
» Support Capacity Development of Entrepreneurs -
specifically the roll out of the Empowered Entrepreneurs
training
» Support Market Development through education and
awareness
» Support establishment of Solar Sister Energy
Entrepreneurship Institute
12

13. www.solarsister.org
@Solar_Sister
@olasimbo
/solarsister.org
/solarsistervideo
For further information:
Women’s Economic Empowerment (WE) programme
www.energia.org