What can you accomplish in eight months? For Eleonora Paul, it was enough time for this 30-year-old entrepreneur to turn a simple opportunity into a brighter, more secure future for her family—and a business she never thought possible.
Eleonora joined Solar Sister in February 2024 through an unexpected opportunity when a Business Development Associate came to her VICOBA (savings) group looking for entrepreneurs. Eleonora joined up.
Just eight months in, Eleonora’s journey has already brought remarkable changes to her life, her business, and her family.
Before Solar Sister, Eleonora sold vegetables, tomatoes, and onions under a tree at her home in western Tanzania. It was a modest business, but she worked hard every day. Now, she’s expanded into the solar business and feels the freedom and less pressure that comes with it.
“I love the solar business. With solar, you worry less,” Elenora says. “It’s a business that will never get rotten, so you stress less than with vegetables. I am also able to grow my vegetable business more.”
Eleonora has particularly benefited from the selling techniques she learned in Solar Sister training.
“I used to think people had to pay for seminars, so I thought I’d have to pay too. I was very happy that the training was free and useful! Even our neighbors are jealous of us when we gather for the sessions.”
She feels more confident in marketing her products, which has brought a surge in her customer base, and income. This new income has enabled Eleonora to support her family in ways she couldn’t imagine..
“My family has now started to have a good life,” she shares. “The children get food and their school needs met, unlike before.”
She also takes pride in deciding how to use her earnings, feeling renewed control over her family’s future. Her community has noticed her dedication and resilience.
“People see me as a fighting woman. They say I’ll go far in business because I’m not like other women who stay home and wait for the husband to provide.”
Eleonora has yet to hold a formal title in the community, but she educates people around her on quality solar energy products and clean cookstoves, contributing to positive change.
One of Eleonora’s goals is to expand her business to include a shop with cereal items and larger clean energy products.
“Our Business Development Associate, Queen Peter, has taught us about the opportunity to sell big products to our VICOBA group,” Eleonora says. “I’m so happy to see the opportunity on how to sell big products. I could not afford it before, but they’re more profitable than small lanterns and can help me grow my business.”
Eleonora’s solar lights allow her to sell vegetables until 8 or 9 p.m. In contrast, in the past, she would stop at 6:30 p.m. Many customers come to her house, so this works out well.
For Eleonora, harvest season is her happiest time.
“When people harvest, I do a lot of business—those are my happiest moments because my business goes faster.”
With every step forward, Eleonora proves that life can transform with the right opportunities, determination, and community support.
Eleonora Paul is a wife, mother, entrepreneur, and inspiration, bringing light to her home, business, and the lives of others around her.
