WEEK Empowerment Journeys - Agnes Mahero
Authors
Lydia Muchiri
Francis Muchiri
Issue Date
2016-09
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Energy
Alternative Title
Abstract
Women in Energy Enterprises in Kenya (WEEK) project AGNES MAHERO BASED IN KAGICHA, CHINGA, NYERI COUNTY Agnes Mahero is running a solar business in Kwisero Market, in Kakamega County. When we met her in Ekero, a little market centre near Mumias, she happily displayed her wares as she walked from one point to the other. Before she started dealing in the solar products, Agnes bought and sold cereals from farmers, bulked them and delivered them for large buyers. Here she earned about $70 a month. This was not enough to meet her family needs. And again she did not have enough storage space to increase her bulking hence increase her earnings. “It was a lot of work with a small profit margin which left me most of the times in want,” she told me. Agnes then trained as a rocket stoves installer – which she still does when there is a demand. This was a good venture that kept her occupied when her schedules were open, but also made her some extra money in the process. The WEEK Project team approached her and introduced her solar products and this impressed her. “I grew up in a green village and I would like to see everyone adopt cleaner sources of energy,” she quipped. She begun selling and promoting the products during market days in different towns. She would hawk her wares around and on a good day would make about $60 during market days. The WEEK Project equipped her with business and technology skills and this has helped her to increase her sales. She currently makes $100 every week on solar home lighting products alone. She has employed a young man to help her promote the products and envisions setting up a distribution outlet in her hometown. She feels that this would reduce the current challenges she is facing given that she has to pay fees to each county market she visits which affects her operations. It would also reduce her transport costs as her clients and customers would come to her. Agnes is confident that with the skills gained she will be able to expand her business. https://practicalaction.sharepoint.com/sites/uk/Marketing/PFRU/ProposalsReports/PROJECT%20proposals%20and%20reports/WEEK%20-%20Gender%20-%20Kenya/WEEK%20Empowerment%20Journies-%20Case%20studies%20-%202016.pdf
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