Fostering women owned businesses in Kenya and Malawi
In partnership with SolarAid and the Loomba Trust, the Foundation developed an initiative to include women in SolarAid's "Sunny Money" training programmes in rural Kenya and Malawi. The training sessions provided women with management and marketing skills, enabling them to develop small businesses selling solar products and ultimately to gain an independent income.
Impact
The additional income contributed to improved living standards, not only for the women themselves, but also their families and communities. A group of widows in Malawi used the their additional income to pay school fees for children in the local orphanage. One of the widows explained that the more solar products she was able to sell, the more children she would be able to send to school.
As well as the scheme’s economic outcomes, solar franchising leads to additional health and environmental benefits. Replacing kerosene lamps protects families from unhealthy fumes, allows children to study in the evenings and reduces the amount of harmful emissions.
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