Solar Sister
Uganda
Last updated August 20, 2012
Partner Description:
Solar Sister is a nonprofit organization that distributes clean, affordable solar technology while empowering women with economic opportunity. To this end, the organization is building an Avon-style network of women to sell solar lights, mobile phone chargers and more.
Solar Sister’s model is designed to generate income for women entrepreneurs in remote and low-income regions, and to build an effective rural distribution channel for new technology.
In sub-Saharan Africa, women make up 70% of the poor living without electricity. They are also the primary decision makers when it comes to choosing solar lighting and heating over the standard kerosene. For these reasons, Solar Sister sees women as the key to ending energy poverty and kerosene dependence as both sellers and buyers.
Solar Sister supplies its saleswomen with low-cost, clean energy solutions for household consumption. It sources these products from a range of brands, including Kiva Field Partner Barefoot Power, solar lantern maker D.light Design, Greenlight Planet and others.
Each Solar Sister Entrepreneur (SSE) receives an in-kind loan in the form of a “business in a bag.” Every month, she sells these items at a profit and repays Solar Sister the original price of the inventory. This flexibility allows SSEs to work part-time or full-time.
Solar Sister operates as a social business, covering operating costs out of net revenues and investing any profits back into the mission to reach more women entrepreneurs. Providing women with income generation opportunities has a ripple effect of impact. With the income earned from their businesses, SSEs are able to invest in their families' education, health and well being. "With the money I have earned as a Solar Sister, I am able to send all of the children to school, the boys and the girls," says Grace, a Solar Sister who works to support her family of ten children in Uganda.
Solar Sister is poised for expansion. Its partnership with Kiva provides the working capital it needs to fund SSEs’ inventory kits, allowing the organization to invest more in geographic expansion, SSE recruitment and more. All loans to SSEs will come at 0% interest, and will be awarded for a period of 10 to 18 months. During the course of their Kiva loans, SSEs will sell their inventory, re-pay Solar Sister and access more funds. Accordingly, at any point during the loan, SSEs will have a mix of inventory and cash that is equal to the value of the Kiva loan.
Promoting solar adoption is critical to improving quality of life in remote, off-the-grid areas. Kerosene -- the go-to solution for heating and lighting throughout the developing world -- poses serious environmental, safety and health concerns. Non-renewable and expensive, kerosene often consumes up to 30% of household income for families at the base of the pyramid. The problem is particularly acute in Africa, where 60% of the population (about 600 million people) live without electricity. On top of that, kerosene causes millions to suffer from respiratory illnesses and burns, particularly women and girls.
Founded in 2010, Solar Sister has already received several awards for its work, including the Social Venture Network’s 2011 Innovation Award. It was also chosen by Google as one of 40 premier organizations that support women’s empowerment.
Partner Description:
Solar Sister is a nonprofit organization that distributes clean, affordable solar technology while empowering women with economic opportunity. To this end, the organization is building an Avon-style network of women to sell solar lights, mobile phone chargers and more.
Solar Sister’s model is designed to generate income for women entrepreneurs in remote and low-income regions, and to build an effective rural distribution channel for new technology.
In sub-Saharan Africa, women make up 70% of the poor living without electricity. They are also the primary decision makers when it comes to choosing solar lighting and heating over the standard kerosene. For these reasons, Solar Sister sees women as the key to ending energy poverty and kerosene dependence as both sellers and buyers.
Solar Sister supplies its saleswomen with low-cost, clean energy solutions for household consumption. It sources these products from a range of brands, including Kiva Field Partner Barefoot Power, solar lantern maker D.light Design, Greenlight Planet and others.
Each Solar Sister Entrepreneur (SSE) receives an in-kind loan in the form of a “business in a bag.” Every month, she sells these items at a profit and repays Solar Sister the original price of the inventory. This flexibility allows SSEs to work part-time or full-time.
Solar Sister operates as a social business, covering operating costs out of net revenues and investing any profits back into the mission to reach more women entrepreneurs. Providing women with income generation opportunities has a ripple effect of impact. With the income earned from their businesses, SSEs are able to invest in their families' education, health and well being. "With the money I have earned as a Solar Sister, I am able to send all of the children to school, the boys and the girls," says Grace, a Solar Sister who works to support her family of ten children in Uganda.
Solar Sister is poised for expansion. Its partnership with Kiva provides the working capital it needs to fund SSEs’ inventory kits, allowing the organization to invest more in geographic expansion, SSE recruitment and more. All loans to SSEs will come at 0% interest, and will be awarded for a period of 10 to 18 months. During the course of their Kiva loans, SSEs will sell their inventory, re-pay Solar Sister and access more funds. Accordingly, at any point during the loan, SSEs will have a mix of inventory and cash that is equal to the value of the Kiva loan.
Promoting solar adoption is critical to improving quality of life in remote, off-the-grid areas. Kerosene -- the go-to solution for heating and lighting throughout the developing world -- poses serious environmental, safety and health concerns. Non-renewable and expensive, kerosene often consumes up to 30% of household income for families at the base of the pyramid. The problem is particularly acute in Africa, where 60% of the population (about 600 million people) live without electricity. On top of that, kerosene causes millions to suffer from respiratory illnesses and burns, particularly women and girls.
Founded in 2010, Solar Sister has already received several awards for its work, including the Social Venture Network’s 2011 Innovation Award. It was also chosen by Google as one of 40 premier organizations that support women’s empowerment.
Repayment Performance on Kiva
Repayment Performance on Kiva| This Field Partner | All Kiva Partners | ||
| Start Date On Kiva | Dec 9, 2012 | Oct 12, 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Loans | $3,650 | $432,399,575 | |
| Amount of Raised Inactive Loans | $0 | $301,825 | |
| Number Of Raised Inactive Loans | 0 | 235 | |
| Amount of Paying Back Loans | $3,650 | $92,726,900 | |
| Number Of Paying Back Loans | 12 | 100,693 | |
| Amount of Ended Loans | $0 | $339,370,850 | |
| Number Of Ended Loans | 0 | 443,521 | |
| Delinquency Rate | 0.00% | 2.50% | |
| Amount In Arrears | $0 | $1,467,080 | |
| Outstanding Portfolio | $3,650 | $58,746,667 | |
| Number of Loans Delinquent | 0 | 11,059 | |
| Default Rate | 0.00% | 0.95% | |
| Amount of Ended Loans Defaulted | $0 | $3,227,945 | |
| Amount of Ended Loans | $0 | $339,370,850 | |
| Number Of Ended Loans Defaulted | 0 | 9,845 | |
| Currency Exchange Loss Rate | 0.00% | 0.02% | |
| Amount of Currency Exchange Loss | $0 | $77,519 | |
| Refund Rate | 0.00% | 0.94% | |
| Amount of Refunded Loans | $0 | $4,075,975 | |
| Number Of Refunded Loans | 0 | 4,599 |
Loan Characteristics On Kiva
Loan Characteristics On Kiva| This Field Partner | All Kiva Partners | ||
| Loans To Women Entrepreneurs | 100.00% | 74.00% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Loan Size | $304 | $408 | |
| Average Individual Loan Size | $304 | $646 | |
| Average Group Loan Size | $0 | $1,747 | |
| Average Number Of Entrepreneurs Per Group | 0 | 8 | |
| Average GDP Per Capita (PPP) in Local Country | $1,700 | $3,348 | |
| Average Loan Size / GDP Per Capita (PPP) | 17.89% | 12.18% | |
| Average Time To Fund A Loan | 0.13 days | 4.68 days | |
| Average Dollars Raised Per Day Per Loan | $2,304.08 | $87.13 | |
| Average Loan Term | 12 months | 9.63 months |
Journaling Performance on Kiva
Journaling Performance on Kiva| This Field Partner | All Kiva Partners | ||
| Total Journals | 0 | 208,161 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journaling Rate | 0.00% | 40.12% | |
| Average Number Of Comments Per Journal | 0.00 | 0.11 | |
| Average Number Of Recommendations Per Journal | 0.00 | 2.66 |
Borrowing Cost Comparison (based on 2009 data)
Borrowing Cost Comparison (based on 2009 data)| This Field Partner | Median for MFI Peers in Country | All Kiva Partners | ||
| Portfolio Yield | N/A | N/A | 35.16% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profitability (Return on Assets) | N/A | N/A | -0.08% | |
| Average Loan Size (% of Per Capita Income) | N/A | 72.10% | 46.79% |
Country Fast Facts
Country Fast Facts- Country:
- Uganda
- Capital:
- Kampala
- Official Language:
- English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic
- Population:
- 26,404,543
- Avg Annual Income:
- $1,700
- Labor Force:
- agriculture 82%; industry 5%; services 13%
- Population Below Poverty Line:
- 35%
- Literacy Rate:
- 69.90%
- Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000):
- 86.15 deaths
- Life Expectancy:
- 45.28 years
Field Partner Staff
Ritah KediKatie Krummel
Katherine Lucy
Neha Misra
Evelyn Namara
David O'Connor
Laura Sellmansberger
Liz Vidyarthi