Khulumani Gogos Going Green
The enterprise promotes the participation of grandmothers in savings and credit groups. These groups provide loans to finance investments in solar lighting and charging systems that meet household energy needs. The objectives of the enterprise are to expand the supply and distribution of solar systems to off-grid households. The enterprise builds capacity amongst grandmothers for managing a small enterprise in the solar energy sector. This then meets their needs for mobile phone charging and basic lighting, reducing their vulnerability to gender-based violence.
- Facilitating women's economic independence as household providers.
- Introducing savings group processes to 20 new groups of 10 –15 women each year.
- Enhancing social capital for sustainability of the enterprise.
- Building the management and development capacity of women in the enterprise.
- Enhancing quality of life in rural households through solar energy systems for lighting and mobile phone charging.
- Using solar energy in place of coal or biomass.
- Raising community environmental awareness.
- Sharing knowledge and experience of recycling as an economic opportunity.
- Beneficiary households have more hours to engage in productive activities generating income.
- Household lighting and mobile phone-charging capacity enhances the safety of women and girls.
- Each savings and credit group invests at least USD 1,200 a year in enterprises.
Partners
Khulumani Gogos Going Green hosts the SaveAct savings clubs run by local field workers who have been trained by SaveAct. Members of the savings clubs can access loans to invest in the solar energy products sold by participants in the enterprise.
SaveAct collaborates with Khulumani to teach members of the savings groups financial skills for small enterprise development. This supports their economic sustainability and well-being.
PlanMyPower Solar Solutions provides information, technical advice and solar energy solutions. It is responsible for rolling out the distribution of solar energy systems in rural areas of the Eastern Cape.