Smiling Through Light organization works with a network of local women to provide clean, reliable and sustainable energy in Sierra Leone through the distribution and sales of solar products, focusing on last mile communities.

Mariam Kamara founded the organization in 2016 with the goal to inspire local women to become solar technology entrepreneurs by selling solar-powered lamps. So far, the enterprise has helped lift many households from energy poverty and economically empowered the women.

This has been achieved through setting up distribution networks and supporting small female-run businesses. The organization helps communities’ access safe, clean, light technology, whilst simultaneously creating employment and income opportunities.

Impact by Smiling Through Light

This year, Smiling Through Light launched a learning report on Examining the Journey and Impact of Pay-as You-Go (PAYG) for Solar Home Systems. The research assessed the organization’s customers in north-western Sierra Leone and delved into their role in tailoring distribution programmes, to improve energy access through renewable energy appliances.

The report will help inform future decisions on financing social entrepreneurs involved in vending solar home systems. The objective is to improve livelihoods and access to lighting through a sustainable approach in off-grid communities in developing countries.

To date, Smiling Through Light has sold over 1,000 solar products reaching 9,000 people who are able to access clean energy technology.

According to Mariama, access to finance and lack of working capital have been the biggest challenge, plaguing efforts to get electricity to the billions of people who need it. “There are so many inequalities in international finance in unlocking rapid growth for the distributed clean energy sector. The global conversation on ending poverty has consistently recognized funding inequalities as an inevitable aspect of our transition to more sustainable outcomes for the energy sector,” she said.

She added, that most donors or investors do not support locally led black-owned businesses. “There is a misconception that their funds will not be managed properly, systems are not in place and the single narrative of corruption continues,” she said. Most of the financing going to Africa is debt financing and channeled to more loans.

Early-stage companies, and entrepreneurs are on a mission to make changes, especially how the world uses energy, their efforts should be supported. Businesses should all have equal opportunities especially if they have excellent business model, teams, relevant structures and policies in place.

The future of Smiling Through Light

Smiling Through Light have implemented the PAYG online platform (using Solaris PaygOps) and further introduced a 5Cs process (x5 credit assessment related questions to assess the creditworthiness of -typically unbanked – customers). The combination of the PAYG platform and 5Cs process has seen a transformation from the cash and credit system that they operated previously.

Smiling Through Light will continue using this technology to scale up all their activities in Sierra Leone and two more countries in West Africa. They would like to create more jobs and continue to build networks of female sales agents.

As the world is becoming more digitized, the organization will focus on financial literacy training for rural communities, helping them to build their credit histories and equipping them with the right knowledge about the use of clean energy solutions.