In order to compensate for our CO₂ emissions, Nordic Capital is supporting Solar Sister, an independent charity which provides solar lights to poor rural households through an innovative entrepreneurship model. During 2018, some 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa light their homes with kerosene lights. As well as being ineffective, expensive and harmful to people’s health, kerosene lights contribute heavily to CO₂ emissions.
Thanks to Nordic Capital’s contribution, Solar Sister, among others, can recruit and train women in poor rural communities to become self-employed entrepreneurs.
These entrepreneurs receive business coaching, one-to-one mentoring and marketing support so they can successfully sell the solar lights in their communities. Solar Sister entrepreneurs are typically able to increase their family income by 20%. About 80% of the extra income is in turn invested in their families and contributes to better education and health for their children.
Up to 2021, Nordic Capital's engagement with Solar Sister has achieved:
- Expansion of Solar Sister into 6 new districts in Tanzania
- Recruited and trained 198 new solar sister entrepreneurs
- Spread light to 41,000 poor people in the rural areas