GOMBE, Thursday, June 16, 2022.
Solar Sister, in partnership with the Feed the Future Rural Resilience Activity partners, spearheaded by Mercy Corps, launched a project, “Promoting Rural Resilience Through Women-Owned Clean Energy Enterprises in Targeted Underserved Communities in North-East Nigeria.” This project is funded by USAID and implemented by Mercy Corps in collaboration with Save the Children International and the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC). The project will facilitate and protect economic recovery and growth in vulnerable conflict-affected areas and sustainably move people out of chronic vulnerability and poverty through expanded opportunities.
This project supports 300 women across Adamawa and Gombe state to kick start and grow a clean energy business in North-East Nigeria and improve their livelihoods through sustainable income-generating activities.
The country’s North-East region has faced severe attacks that have affected its socio-economic stability, including its source of livelihood. These attacks have left them with no access to electricity, life-threatening alternatives like candles and kerosene lamps, and no proper means of cooking. Women and youths are primarily involved with the effects of these attacks and left to fend for themselves.
The launch event included stakeholder participation and engagement from the Government, private, NGOs, and women economic empowerment actors. It took place at the Maidugu Guest Palace Limited, 3 Alkaleri Road, New GRA Gombe, Gombe State. The program highlighted an overview of the partnership between Solar Sister Nigeria and the ‘Feed the Future Rural Resilience Activity’ partners, implemented by Mercy Corps.
The objectives of the project are as follows:
1. Promote the sustainable livelihood of 300 vulnerable women across Adamawa and Gombe states.
2. Stimulate a clean energy market, increase access in identified underserved communities within North-East Nigeria, and promote a shift in high-risk environmental behaviors such as the use of firewood.
3. Increase women’s agency and gender equity by supporting woman-to-woman, and peer-to-peer networking systems amongst the 300 identified clean energy entrepreneurs.
4. Scale-up successful experiences through data evaluation, project impact tracking, and organizational knowledge management.
ABOUT
Solar Sister Nigeria
Solar Sister Nigeria is a gender-based social enterprise that provides women with economic opportunity, training, and support to distribute clean energy to underserved communities in Nigeria. Since 2015, we have built a network of over 2000 Entrepreneurs spread across 28 states in Nigeria.
Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity (RRA)
Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity (RRA) is a 5-year USAID-funded program being implemented by a consortium led by Mercy Corps, with support from IFDC (International Fertilizer Development Center) and Save the Children. This program is being implemented across Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, and Yobe States in North-East Nigeria.RRA aims to facilitate economic recovery and growth in vulnerable, conflict-affected areas by promoting systemic change in market systems.
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries worldwide, we partner to put bold solutions into action—helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.