Minjila, Kenya, located 220 kilometers north of Mombasa, is hot and sultry in January. Inland from the coast, there is little breeze, and the summer heat is unrelenting on the day we visit Solar Sister Entrepreneur Naima Ahmed in her mother’s shop.
At just 20 years old, Naima embarked on a new journey that blends entrepreneurship with her dreams of further education. It started in her mother’s shop, where she met Fadumo Gedi, a Business Development Associate with Solar Sister.
Recently graduated from high school, Naima is looking ahead. She hopes to continue her education and pursue a career in medicine.
Naima’s new clean energy business began when she sold her first lamp in July 2023, which her mother purchased for her so she could launch her business. Since then, her sales have flourished. She now sells an average of ten lamps per week, which helps her manage pocket money and school fees.
“Selling solar lamps isn’t just about business,” Naima shares. “It’s about providing a solution in a community with plenty of sunlight and no electricity. People here often rely on candles, which are expensive and unsafe.”
Naima Ahmed in her mother’s shop.