Leah is a young lady who completed her secondary school education in 2011 and then started selling vegetables and tea leaves to earn a living, supporting herself and her family. For each packet of tea leaves she sold, Leah would earn Kshs. 5. Her family is no different from those of her friends and neighbours in Bomet, Kenya who spend money daily buying kerosene to use as a source of light in their homes. The light is dim and the fumes from the burning kerosene irritates their eyes and makes them cough.
Leah believes that “in the world there are some things that are not used enough and that sun light is one of them”. Her advice to those in her community is simple, “solar lights are affordable, healthy, easy to use and maintain, let us save our environment, money and keep ourselves healthier by using solar lights from SunnyMoney”.
Two years after she started selling vegetables and tea leaves, Leah decided that she had had enough. The seasonal harvest meant that there were periods when she was left with no produce to sell. After hearing about SunnyMoney from one of her relatives; Mrs. Kemboi, a Head Teacher involved in the SunnyMoney School Campaigns, Leah joined the SunnyMoney Agents Program. In November 2013 as a result of her interest and enthusiasm she became the region’s top selling agent. Today, Leah is a super-agent with a network of sub-agents that she has recruited and mentored. Unable to put together the necessary capital to become agents themselves, sub-agents work under a super-agent. The super-agent is able to order solar lights on their behalf from SunnyMoney in bulk at a discounted price.
“I am so grateful to SunnyMoney, you have made our community healthier and also changed my life financially and this is what keeps me work very hard to sell as many lights as possible in order to full stop the use of kerosene. Thank you SunnyMoney!”
Leah Rono – SunnyMoney Agent, Kenya
Leah has not only seen the economic benefits of being a SunnyMoney agent but has been moved by how the solar lights have changed the lives of the people in her community. Like other people using SunnyMoney solar lights, she has witnessed a great change in her family; they no longer suffer because of the soot emitted by the kerosene lamps and have saved a lot of money. Lighting is no longer a problem in their community as more and more people embrace the solar lamps.