Forty-three-year-old Brenda Talla is a nurse at northeastern Nigeria’s Primary Health Care Center in Taraba state. Her husband is a civil servant, and they have three children.
Over the past year, Nigeria’s economic conditions have deteriorated due to the devaluation of the naira, the Nigerian currency. In January 2024, the inflation rate soared to 29%, and the currency hit record lows.
In 2023, Brenda began searching for a second source of income to cope with the rising inflation and economic challenges. In November 2023, as part of Solar Sister’s partnership with Acumen, Moses Segilola, a Business Development Associate, visited Brenda’s workplace to present opportunities to the women. Brenda saw great potential in the solar business and started training with Moses.
Joining Solar Sister and seeing how profitable the business could be brought Brenda immense joy. The start-up capital provided by the Acumen grant was a significant boost. Now, she has an additional source of income and spends her free time visiting various communities to sell solar lamps. The unique appeal of these lamps has made her quite popular.
Brenda is proud to have illuminated many homes with clean-energy lamps and cookstoves. She can support her husband and care for her children with her new business.
As Brenda shared, “I recall selling some stoves and a few lamps at the same time. The profit I made from this sale paid my son’s school fees.”
She also bought her family a solar lamp, which they prefer to the old battery lamps they used to use.
Brenda’s Android phone has been a blessing for her business. With monthly digital and business training from her Business Development Associate, she has reached more customers and managed her sales more effectively.