Story by Roselinder Achieng Maima, Impact and Communications Manager / Solar Sister Kenya
With her ready smile, Catherine Ongonga comes from Kisumu County, Kenya. In 2023, she joined Solar Sister after stepping away from sales jobs, where micromanagement and limited income had left her unfulfilled. Catherine was seeking something different, an opportunity that would allow her to manage her own time, grow her income, and still be present for her family. What stood out most when she joined Solar Sister was the training—especially learning how to save money and invest in starting her own business.
“I had not imagined that I would be in a comfortable position to start up my business since the money I got initially could hardly sustain my family”.
Catherine has been able to earn between 5,000 and 20,000 in profit per month, thus making it possible to take care of her family’s needs as well as expand her business.
The increase in income is her primary source of encouragement.
“What I like most about this opportunity to engage in the clean energy business is that I am my own boss. I manage my time and finances in a way as it fits me. I have more time for my family, who rely heavily on the income I bring home, and we spend more time together because, after all, self-employment only means one thing: personal time management.”
Catherine has since managed to expand her farming business, employing casual workers to assist with planting, weeding, and harvesting maize from her farm.
“In the last planting season alone, I managed to harvest 450kgs of maize from my farm, supported by the profits from Solar Sister’s clean energy opportunity. Although my husband pays the school fees for our children, I have managed to cover the basic needs of my family and continue to support them every day with snacks, books, and food, without straining as I would have before.”
Her message to fellow women, “Whether married or not, please get yourself some source of income, as this makes your married life even better. Every man looks forward to having a hard-working woman. I have managed to buy roofing sheets and building materials in readiness to build a house for my parents, a dream I thought was far-fetched.”
