Angaza is currently operating in Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia. Along the way, we have witnessed firsthand the power of accessible energy to transform lives. Here are a few of our customers’ stories:
Benedetha
Benedetha’s family of 8 works as a team to harvest and dry the swim bladders from fish left behind by Lake Victoria fishermen. They then sell the dehydrated bladders for use as a material in consumer goods. The family’s income fluctuates depending on the availability of fish, so they’ve been accustomed to paying for kerosene by the liter with the money they earn each week. Benedetha was thrilled to be able to pay for solar energy little-by-little, in the same way she bought kerosene. Angaza finally made it affordable for her family to switch to clean energy.
Stephano
Stephano is a farmer who grows and sells a wide array of fruits, vegetables, and grains depending on what’s in season. He relies on his cell phone for business and is acutely aware of the dangerous effects of kerosene fumes on his childrens’ health, so he was eager to switch to the SoLite for both phone charging and clean light. He loved the idea of being able to pay for the SoLite at his own pace, and then use the energy for free once he had paid off his “debt”. He pays in larger or smaller amounts depending on how well his business is doing at a particular time, and he said he couldn’t believe he was able to buy clean, reliable energy at a cheaper price than kerosene.
The Lukafubas
The Lukafubas are a deeply religious family that put an emphasis on their childrens’ education. They permanently mounted their SoLite to the ceiling over the table where the children study. Their son, Tobias, told us that the bright, dispersed light of the SoLite made it easy for his brothers and sisters to study as a group and prepare together for the year-end exams. Without Pay-As-You-Go, the only non-kerosene lighting they had been able to afford were small, battery-powered flashlights that were flimsy and impossible to study by. The Minister told us that Pay-As-You-Go solar had “brightened their lives” by letting them spend time together after sundown.
