ToughStuff - solar power supporting African entrepreneurs
1 November 2010
Find out how one enterprise uses solar power products to help African entrepreneurs fund their business...
How can buying a solar powered light help entrepreneurs in Africa?
Toughstuff is social enterprise whose mission is to provide low income families with the means to get their way out of poverty. When you buy items such as their Lighting Kit: Buy One Fund One, a 2 piece solar light set, half your purchase will be used to fund a Solar Village Entrepreneur (SVE) in Africa and provide them with microloans and training to get start their business.
Tahiry, 25 and from Madagascar, is one of the original SVE’s who built his business by selling ToughStuff’s solar lamps and panels. Having recently graduated from university, Tahiry was unable to find employment. In 2009, he raised money from his family to become one of ToughStuff’s first SVEs and having started with just 30 lamps and panels, which he rented out to people in his village, Tahiry quickly realised that demand for ToughStuff’s affordable solar products was huge. After just one week he returned to buy more!
Tahiry now has two employees and 115 solar kits – lighting over 10% of his village.
He recently said: “ToughStuff has become so ingrained in the village that I can’t imagine life without it!
We at InterHealth are proud to support ToughStuff’s work and stock one of their products, the ToughStuff Lighting Kit: Buy One Fund One, on our TravelShop. Go buy one today and help an entrepreneur in Africa!
