A tall, slender woman with a bright smile, her long black hair swinging behind her, ran out of the takeaway food shop with her arms outstretched.
“Welcome. I am so happy that you have come. I am Idongesit.”
Idongesit Effiong opened her shop, Paradise Meals, in Uyo, Nigeria, a year ago. Joining Solar Sister in May 2022, she is already seeing the benefits.
“I had a real light challenge in my shop and home before I heard about Solar Sister,” Idongesit says. “There is a shortage of power supply in this neighborhood, but now my lights are on.”
Having light is essential for Idongesit’s budding takeaway business.
“I make my meals to order. I cook the meals at home and do the finishing touches here in the shop. Then customers come by to pick them up. Often it is in the evening after dark.”
As a single mother with three children, ages 21, 20, and 17, the additional income that Idongesit makes as a Solar Sister Entrepreneur helps her to support her family.
“My children are all in university,” she says. “I support my eldest, a girl studying political science.”
Opening a shop selling healthy, international cuisine was a long-time dream for Idongesit. Becoming a Solar Sister Entrepreneur brought more dimension to her work. Idongesit is proud of preparing healthy meals for her customers. Providing clean energy to her community adds to her desire to be a part of good work. To Idongesit, creating awareness of solar lighting brings her joy.
“I hope every home in Nigeria will have solar. We should not rely on the government. We can rely on nature. Solar should be the focal and government the alternative.”
Idongesit looks forward to the training sessions with her Business Development Associate, Unyime Joseph. They have become friends over the past few months.
“I’ve learned how to market the products and how to approach people. I explain the benefits to people and how I have experienced using solar myself. I tell people that clean energy saves money from buying fuel. Power from the sun is free, and I talk about that.
The marketing training is helping me in my food business as well. Unyime checks in on me between meetings, and she is always available when I call to ask a question.
If a woman is blessed, it is a general blessing for all, and other women will be blessed through her.”
I call my shop Paradise Meals, Idongesit says. There is heaven in every bite!”