From Struggles to Solar Success: Meet Ruth Asonibare

January 30, 2025

As told to Oissereime Lloyd-Dietake, Communications, Nigeria

My name is Ruth Asonibare, and I am from Ijara Isin, Kwara State, Nigeria. I am married and have four children.

I first met Aminat Salami, a Solar Sister Business Development Associate, in May 2020 when she visited my school to introduce clean energy and business opportunities for women’s financial growth. I was captivated by her confidence and the way she addressed the audience. At that moment, I told myself, “I must join this impact team.” I started saving a portion of my salary for startup capital. I officially became part of the Solar Sister family in July 2020.

Before joining Solar Sister, I worked for the Kwara State Educational Board. Still, my salary was barely enough to support my family’s basic needs. I tried several online networking businesses in an attempt to improve my income. Instead, I ended up losing my hard-earned money to fraudulent platform schemes.

I started out selling solar lamps, but I soon realized that my work was a platform to inspire others. I became an advocate for clean energy, recalling my own experience growing up in Ijara Isin.

In this energy-underserved area, we relied on candles, kerosene lanterns, and battery-powered lamps for light. My first business goal was to visit my hometown, educate my people about clean energy, and provide easy access to solar lamps and clean cookstoves. It was a major success and breakthrough in my business. I even recruited two commission-based sales agents to serve neighboring communities.

I marketed my products across schools and cooperative societies in my community, which gave me a strong foundation for financial independence, the kind I had always dreamed of.

The support and monthly training I received through Solar Sister have shaped my confidence and determination to succeed. The Dreamweaver and Pathfinder training modules have helped me set clear goals and develop a plan to achieve them. In those modules, we learn how to set goals and the steps to achieve them.

In January 2024, I set a goal to purchase a refrigerator using my solar business profits by the end of the year.

The journey, at times, was rough. Sometimes, my goal seemed out of reach. However, with the encouragement from Aminat and the strategies I learned for marketing and expanding my business, I kept pushing forward.

In November, I participated in the Solar Sister Advocacy Campaign, a game-changer for me.

Today, I am a proud owner of a brand-new Haier Thermocool refrigerator purchased entirely with the income from my solar business.

I am truly grateful.