Solar Sister Presentation (Partners in Energia's WE Programme)

Smart Villages workshop held in Accra 23rd -25th May, 2016

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

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

How it works

Solar Sister is strengthening the complete ecosystem for increasing women’s access to sustainable energy and opportunities

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Solar Sister’s 2015 End of Year Sample Survey

Benefits of being a Solar Sister Entrepreneur : More than an agent

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.

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

www.solarsister.org

@Solar_Sister @olasimbo

/solarsister.org /solarsistervideo

For further information:

Women’s Economic Empowerment (WE) programme www.energia.org