Rifkatu Emmanuel once ran a small roadside shop selling biscuits in her village. Today, she’s known as “Mama Solar,” a leader in entrepreneurship and clean energy advocacy in her community. From living in an IDP camp to owning a registered business that serves over 15 communities, Rifkatu’s journey with Solar Sister shows the impact of training, determination, and the drive to uplift others.
Now fifty-two, Rifkatu joined Solar Sister through the Women Entrepreneurship Project ( WEP) in 2019. Families like Rifkatus fled their homes in northern Nigeria due to insecurities and a humanitarian crisis. They became one of the millions of internally displaced people needing assistance. The WEP project brought 200 women on board. It sought to support and help women in the Internal Displaced Persons (IDP) camp own and grow their businesses. Rifkatu, her husband, and six children, three boys and three girls, lived in a camp in Bauchi State, northern Nigeria.
Before joining Solar Sister, Rifkatu Emmanuel worked tirelessly alongside her husband on their farm and managed a small shop in front of their home, selling biscuits and other items to make ends meet. When our Solar Sister Business Development Associate met her, Rifkatu saw an opportunity to change her circumstances. She committed fully, absorbing every lesson during training and attending the monthly sessions without fail. She was determined to build something more sustainable for her family.
Rifkatu applied every piece of knowledge she gained from her training and was open to exploring the options for business growth that her business development associate recommended. She was trained in digital literacy, which helped her advertise her products and gain customers in over fifteen communities around her.
Through her training, including lessons on personal branding, Rifkatu successfully registered her business with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and opened a business account, fully taking charge of her business. At Solar Sister, we are proud to witness our entrepreneurs gaining independence and securing official business recognition. For Rifkatu, registering her business was a significant milestone, as she understands that legal recognition builds credibility and trust within her community.