One day ten years ago, Comfort Ubong Akpana’s sister came to a family visit with a new solar lamp.
“I told her, I like this lamp so much; how can I get one?”
Her sister introduced her to the Business Development Manager in the area, Blessing Ekanem, and Comfort had her first lamp. Soon after, she became a Solar Sister Entrepreneur.
As a biology teacher, Comfort uses the light each evening to correct her papers at night. In time the family invested in more lamps until she had a home system with a light in the kitchen, the bedroom, and the living room where her study is.
“I have four children, and two are in university. They all have lamps to study with. My husband has a Sun King Boom. We hear everything through it; it has a radio!”
Comfort has attended Solar Sister’s advanced training program and consistently earns Champion status.
To learn more about Comfort in her own words – Click HERE to view her video.
“The best way to meet new customers is through my school. I sell to my fellow teachers who need the lamps. I also visit shops and people’s homes.
Electricity is not always available, and my neighbors used a torch or kerosene lamps. The batteries for the torches are costly to operate all the time. Through me, my neighbors no longer have to buy fuel; they all use solar lamps. In fact, with our home system, we only use solar lighting.”
One of Comfort’s customers is her father-in-law, Chief Abraham.
We met Chief Abraham at his home in the country.
“I started to know about solar lights through my first son’s wife, Comfort,” said Chief Abraham. “Since then, in fact, my life is like I am in heaven. During the time of my father and mother, we used kerosene. And that system is very dangerous. Solar is very useful, especially in the home. It is better than the Nigerian electricity system. Solar has a home system like electricity. I am happy now.
There is not a night I sleep without solar light. Where is there money for me to be buying kerosene, petrol, and diesel?”
Chief Abraham rises early in the morning when it is still dark and comes out to his living room to sit quietly and have his morning devotional time. He uses his solar lamp.
To learn more about Comfort in her own words – Click HERE to view a video.