Walking through Mto Wa Mbu, Tanzania, you will hear the colorful blend of 120 different tribes living together in harmony. You will see farms, churches, markets, and schools. You can visit a wood workshop and watch skilled members of the Makonde tribe carve intricate figurines. Or you can explore the village banana plantation where they grow 30 different types of bananas for uses from food to art.
Then you will see Mary, a local Solar Sister Entrepreneur, dropping her kids off at school and going to the markets to sell solar lanterns to the community.
Living in such a bustling village, 33-year-old Mary Orikiitoi Arpaakwai often faced competition for her products in the markets. Competition is standard in the marketplace, but this created significant challenges for Mary. She has been the sole head of the household since her husband passed away. Struggling to sell sales products makes it difficult for her to earn enough income to support her four children. That was until two years ago when she attended a village gathering where she learned about Solar Sister from an entrepreneur herself!
“It will help me and other women improve our lives and be able to meet our needs without depending on anyone.”
Now, Mary’s life has changed.
“I now earn money, and this has improved my welfare and that of my family.”
By traveling to markets, churches, and village gatherings, she brings needed affordable solar products to the community. Not only is she able to save profits and send her children to school, but when asked about her proudest moment, she said,
“Being able to light my community with clean Solar Lanterns and stop the use of harmful kerosene lamps”.
Kerosene lamps are a fire hazard if they fall over or explode, and Mary knows about this firsthand.
“It was after 10 pm when I fell asleep before switching off the lamp. A cat came in and knocked the lamp over, which caused the fire. I woke up because the house was on fire – it was hot and smoky. I ran out with my children and called for help,” Mary remembered.
For Mary, Solar Sister products are as important for health and safety as they are for income. She is thrilled she gets to share them with the community.
*The village, Mto Wa Mbu, about 80 kilometers southeast of the Ngorongoro Crater, is translated as “River of Mosquitos” due to the permanent water source in the village.