One in five people in the world don't have access to electricity. Of those, 70% are women, who often spend a significant portion of their income on obtaining energy that's not only unpredictable, but also expensive, unsafe, and so polluting that it creates health hazards for families. This lack of access to electricity also prevents the development of key social programs, such as sanitation services and evening education programs, continuing a cycle of poverty that is increasingly difficult to break.

Social Enterprise Provides Power to Community Leaders

Solar Sister developed a strategy to both bring electricity and provide job opportunities to women in rural southern Africa. The organization trains female entrepreneurs to become saleswomen in their communities, enabling them to offer affordable solar technology to their networks for profit. With the money they earn from selling clean renewable energy, the women can reinvest in new inventory, improving their economic situation, and providing benefits to the entire community through its access to a reliable energy source. 

Empowering Their Communities for the Future

Every dollar invested in a Solar Sister entrepreneur generates more than $46 in economic benefits in the first year alone.

The benefits of Solar Sister's program spread throughout the communities. The women entrepreneurs are able to start a job, and the income goes straight to their families and investment in more supplies for their solar business. Widespread electrification improves the standard of living for everyone in the community, providing light for nighttime studying, and power for medical and cooking equipment.

With electricity for medicine, sanitation and water purification, jobs are created to operate the equipment and keep each industry functional. Altogether, Solar Sister's proven model shows that access to sustainable energy results in a stronger economy and a healthier population, and in this case, enables women entrepreneurs to provide a bright future for their families.