Solar Sister is an organization passionate about data. We understand its importance and the value and impact it brings to the lives of the communities we serve. Data is only possible when we can harness the power of digitization and utilize the latest techniques.
To stay up-to-date on all the latest happenings in the digital revolution, our Compliance Manager Omowumi Johnbull traveled to Accra, Ghana, on March 19-20 to attend the Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) Conference led by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and supported by organizations like Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL), eGOV Foundation, Mercy Corps, and MERL Tech among others. The global conference explores how ICT4D and data innovations make a measurable difference in millions of peoples’ lives and increase the impact of humanitarian relief, development, and conservation projects.
Omowumi :
Besides meeting incredible people applying digital tools to support vulnerable communities, I was impressed by the reoccurring theme of the conference: viewing data as the new currency and digitization technology as one of the solutions to solving the intricate issues we face in today’s world.
At Solar Sister, we continually evaluate our approach to digitization and its relevance to the discussions at ICT4Daround data solutions.
Our digitization has helped us and our beneficiaries promote and distribute renewable energy solutions that can reduce our impact on the environment. Embracing digitization technology has enhanced our data collection process using Taroworks and Salesforce. Video conferencing tools improve our work effectiveness and efficiency, connecting us with our field support staff, who directly connect to the communities we serve.
We are excited about the role of global digitization inclusion in amplifying and accelerating the movement and growth of climate resilience and women. Economic empowerment aligns with Solar Sister’s vision and mission of a prosperous world powered by women entrepreneurs through the distribution of clean energy products in off-grid communities in Africa.
Solar Sister consistently gathers extensive data regarding our beneficiaries, their customers, sales figures, and our overall impact. If this data is to serve as a foundational operational asset, then the methodology and approach to our data collection and management are crucial. We have set ethical standards, practices, and procedures to ensure quality data collection process, management, and security, which guides our strategic decision-making and helps us serve our beneficiaries better.
The advantages of digitization and data as a currency are undeniable: productivity, cost efficiency, easy accessibility, enhanced security, information preservation, disaster recovery, space savings, staying competitive, being environmentally friendly, data integrity, transparency, and digital transformation. Solar Sister has seen those benefits from all our previous digitization efforts.
Looking forward, we know the principles we’ve implemented around those efforts will become even more critical. We’re grateful that the ICT4D Conference played a role in keeping us informed on best practices. With such support, any organization can embrace digitization and reap the many benefits it has to offer.
Feature photo: Omowumi Johnbull, left, at the Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) in Accra, Ghana.