Hadija Ally Bali is a Solar Sister Entrepreneur and farmer living in a small village in rural Tanzania. The family grows corn, grain rice, and peas. Two of their six children still live at home. They put away a lot of their crops for themselves to eat and sell the rest, using the income for health care, school fees, and somehow new clothes once a year.
Like many villages in sub-Saharan Africa, Hadija’s village in Tanzania did not have electricity and depended on kerosene lanterns for light.
“Before we used kerosene lamps for light, it seemed that the price of kerosene would increase every day. Also, the kerosene lights are dangerous. They might blow up and burn down your house. The kerosene lamps put off a lot of smoke which makes your eyes red and causes chest pains. It is difficult for the children to study at night with a kerosene lamp.”
Hadija’s area has some electricity but not in all the villages. If electricity was available, many people could not afford to buy it. Hadija did not have electricity in her home, for example.
Having light from affordable clean energy has made life easier for Hadija and the others in her village because there are no expenses from buying kerosene. The money they were using to purchase kerosene is now deposited in the community bank or used for something else. They deposit a bit every week, and after the bank has built up a certain amount, the money is loaned to spend on farming for the next season. This extra money is also a hedge if the crops don’t do well and ensures their children get health care and other needs.
“I always wanted to be a Solar Sister Entrepreneur because our homes have no light. Now when night comes, every household has a light. The first thing we have succeeded in, besides saving some money, is to bring light.”
“To progress, first you need light.”
To see a video featuring Hajija CLICK HERE.