Stanley Rogut, or ‘Solar Stan’ as he is known to his local community in Kenya is a Head Teacher at Kembu Primary school and a SunnyMoney super-agent. Stan lives in an area where he estimates that 98% of the population do not have electricity, as they cannot afford the cost of installation. He first heard about SunnyMoney solar lights in September, 2010 when a team from SunnyMoney attended a Head Teacher meeting at his primary school. Present at the meeting were over 100 Head Teachers from all over Bomet County. That day Stan, like all the other Head Teachers left the meeting with a d.light S2 solar light. The following week he called an assembly at his school and told his staff, students and their parents about the solar light he had received from SunnyMoney.
In the years following that first assembly, Stanley’s work selling solar lights has led to a huge drop in the use of toxic kerosene for lighting – “a big health hazard”. He is delighted that he has been able to evoke big positive changes in relation to education, home-life and the income of local families; describing a solar light, quite simply, as a “good investment”.
Today, Solar Stan is famous in his local area for bringing a solution to the numerous problems caused by kerosene lamps and has already sold thousands of solar lights that help “students read for longer hours [with] no risk of sickness”.
Using SunnyMoney solar lights, the school has improved from a mean score of 227 to 247. Most students use their solar light to study til midnight
Stanley Rogut – Head Teacher, Kenya
In order to get solar lights to more areas He has now begun to appoint sub-agents, enthusiastic men and women who work under him selling solar lights. Stan and his team of sub-agents were key players during a recent solar light promotion that saw the SunnyMoney team return to Bomet with live entertainment, skits and songs. The promotion drew big crowds and sensitized many to the dangers of kerosene vis-à-vis the benefits of solar lights. During that time the SunnyMoney team introduced a new range of solar lights that have separate solar panels and mobile phone charging capabilities.
Solar Stan hopes that one day he will be able to purchase a vehicle to reach even more. It’s because of the hard work and dedication of entrepreneurs like Stanley that SunnyMoney have been able to sell over 1.7 million solar lights.