Equip 15 new energy entrepreneurs in rural Namibia

As 2013 was drawing to a close, Elephant Energy Namibia was able to equip two new Energy Entrepreneurs with an initial stock of 10 energy products, and provide them with comprehensive training in marketing and sales, through donations made to GlobalGiving. The December holiday season is a busy time for sales in Namibia, and the Energy Entrepreneurs were able to sell all of their products to communities that are in need of alternative energy sources. The capacity building and commission earned by the Energy Entrepreneurs is extremely valuable to these individuals, but even more important than the income to the Energy Entrepreneurs are the benefits the products provide to the end users, their families and communities.

A mother living in Onakalunga used to struggle to buy daily bread to feed her three children. Through our incremental payment system, which requires only a small down payment, she was able to purchase a Greenlight Planet Sun King Pro solar light and cellphone charger and has started letting people in her village charge their cellphones for a small fee. With the income she earned from cellphone charging, she managed to complete her payments for the solar product in only a few weeks. Now she uses her profits to buy food for her children that she could not afford before, and she is saving up for a second light. Her children also use the light to read at night and are safer living in a home with no candles or kerosene.

One adventurous entrepreneur took a risk and invested in a Greenlight Planet Sun King Pro solar light for her business. Felicia is a food vendor who has been selling meat and chips at the Okatwitwi open market in Oshikango for several years. She has always tried to keep her business open after dark but the cost of kerosene, candles and the strong wind have deterred her from staying open late. After purchasing a solar product from one of our Energy Entrepreneurs, Felicia has been able to increase her hours of operation along with her revenue, and she generates nearly 100% of the cost of the light in additional revenue every night during her extended business hours. Some of Felicia’s entrepreneurial friends at the Okatwitwi open market witnessed her success and saved money to purchase solar lights of their own, and now there is a row of vendors open late every night.

Namibia is the second least densely populated country in the world, and this makes it extremely difficult for social services to reach all of the people. The “Men and Women Network” is a community organization in the Oshana region that was created to help communities protect themselves from crime when police are not available in their area. Village members volunteer their time to join the organization and they get together to patrol their towns for criminals. The “Men and Women Network” recently purchased several Greenlight Planet Sun King Pro solar light and cellphone chargers to utilize in their efforts to fight crime in their areas. They use the light to keep themselves safe and scare off criminals, and they also use the products to charge their cellphones to contact police in the event of emergencies.

In addition to crime, there are many dangers associated with living in rural villages of Namibia. The greatest concern to villagers in Northern Namibia, where Elephant Energy operates, are the poisonous snakes that invade the villages in the rainy season. Moniqua, from Mukekte Village in the Kavango Region, bought a Greenlight Planet Sun King Pro solar light to protect her from snakes, and soon after purchasing it she used it to assist in killing a big snake in her home. Tate Thomas, from Ohangwena, bought a Greenlight Planet Sun King Pro to protect his family from snakes after one of his children narrowly survived a snake bite.

Whether they are assisting individuals in earning an income for their family, or contributing to the safety of a village, the solar lights that are distributed by Energy Entrepreneurs are making a huge impact in the lives of rural villagers across Namibia. The recipients of these benefits may not be aware of where the generous contributions came from that brought Elephant Energy solar products to their areas, but they are nonetheless extremely grateful to everyone who has made an impact in their lives by participating in GlobalGiving, and on their behalf, we say thank you.