As the sole support of her three-year-old son Nabwire, twenty-six-year-old Leonida Odur set out for the city of Kisumu, Kenya, about two and a half hours from her rural home. Once there, she found work selling mitumba, or second-hand clothes. She barely made enough to send money home to support her boy.
One day she saw a recruiting poster for Solar Sister and decided to check out the sales agent job advertised. She thought it sounded interesting and “it must be better than selling mitubma.”
Leonida enjoys the work and telling people about the products she sells, particularly clean cookstoves. Though Leonida considers herself as shy, she loves meeting new people and has flourished as a “people-person.”
“An important part of the training is learning life skills,” Leonida said. “How to handle yourself, how to approach new people. I was very shy, but now I can greet people confidently. “
Leonida wants to grow with Solar Sister. She feels the work is enjoyable and meaningful.
Leonida met her customer Helen while making calls on a side street in a neighborhood in Kisumu. Helen invited her in and showed Leonida the three-stone fire she was cooking over. She cooks on the open fire outside but uses a traditional clay jiko (stove) during the rainy or windy season. It is not very durable, puts a lot of smoke in the room, and gets quite hot.
Helen says even the clay jiko you can’t use in the house because of the smoke.
“Gathering firewood is not very easy, and we are not allowed to cut more trees for wood.”
Helen watches over her two-year-old granddaughter, Adheera, while her daughter studies nursing. Cooking inside with the hot, smoky stove was worrying.
Leonida is pleased that Helen’s life has improved because of the new clean cookstove.
“I like the job because I like telling customers about the benefits. When they buy, I feel good.”
