Kilifi, Kenya, remains one of the country’s hidden gems. Nestled by an estuary that feeds into the Goshi River, it’s less commercialized than many other Kenyan coastal towns. A mere two hours north of Mombasa, the verdant countryside offers breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean. On the horizon, dhow boats, traditional wooden vessels with elongated hulls, and a single sail, gracefully glide by.
Kilifi is among the regions in Kenya where we are opening new opportunities for Solar Sister Entrepreneurs.
Roselinder Achieng, our Impact Associate in Kenya, recently met with one of the new entrepreneurs, Lina Kazungu.
Lina greeted us with a warm smile as we entered her lush green compound. She welcomed us to sit by the poultry brood of four-week-old chicks as part of her effort to rear an improved breed of birds for culinary purposes. Lina’s enthusiasm for farming is evident, not just in poultry but also in horticulture. Her home garden brims with vibrant, leafy vegetables destined for her family’s table and sale to friends and neighbors.
We are soon joined by Lina’s radiant four-year-old daughter, who’s all smiles in anticipation of a selfie, typical of the new generation of kids.
“I was introduced to Solar Sister through my women’s group, and then I looked for capital to invest in the cookstoves business. I joined the Solar Sister family as an entrepreneur in July 2023. I was enticed by the idea of selling cookstoves to my existing clients and networks as the prices of charcoal have become very high. On the other hand, electricity has become so high that we use solar even for the birds in their cages. Six weeks later, I have made sales and established potential customers,” Lina asserts.
Lina says the most catchy thing about selling cookstoves is that they are clean and economical in fuel energy consumption.
“One has to use very little charcoal, and this is the line that I tell all my clients. This has seen me grow my scope of the market, and I hope that soon I will be bombarding the Solar Sister Kilifi Business Development Associate Stephen with requests to make more sales. I wish to saturate this whole community with clean cookstoves and solar lights since the cost of electricity is very high and most households cannot afford it. I very much enjoy doing business, and before this, I did only poultry farming for chicken meat, veggies, tree nurseries, and plants right from inside my home. I want to expand from the two cookstoves that I have to a more extensive stock. I will talk to the many women groups in which I am an active member and request they buy environmentally friendly products.
We are currently facing the challenges of cash flow. Many people may find the cookstoves a bit expensive. Still, I convinced them of the long-term savings on the money they would have used to buy a lot of charcoal for the typical charcoal stoves. I am confident that they will eventually purchase more stoves. I am also experiencing requests from my customers to buy the products on credit and pay slowly as they continue using them. Still, first, I must establish very high trust levels with them.”
“I am also looking forward to getting trained on entrepreneurship as soon as the Solar Sister Business Development Associate starts up our Sisterhood group. This is important to me as I would like to add more skills to run all the businesses I have created. I want to capitalize on my already existing network of clients and sell to them as I expand my stock,” she adds.
“I have noticed that just like every other business, this one too needs hard work, but it is a pressureless venture as the goods don’t expire, unlike poultry and produce. It is good for women to have the money to care for their families. To be self-employed through the sales of cookstoves.
People really like cookstoves. The cookstoves are the best selling, better than the solar lights that most people already have. The main idea is the savings my end users will make from buying less charcoal to cook. The family is saving more than 50% by using the cleaner stove. Another essential element is the jiko is clean, making it safe for the environment. I personally use charcoal and cooking gas here at my house. Still, I plan to buy myself the cookstove to experience it firsthand. This will also make it easier for me to talk about my experience with the product.
I want to support my family to the best of my ability. I am building my business capital little by little.”