Fiskani: January 2009 Archives

It was business as usual when we met with various SolarAid partners and clients in Nkhata Bay on a bright Monday afternoon when something interesting happened...

Brave Mhone, SolarAid Sales Coordinator, was at the junction to Kawalazi when he decided to obey his thirst by having a soft drink at one of the shops nearby. No sooner had he reached Mr Banda's shop than he saw a Kadzuwa Moc 18 panel exposed to the sun just outside that shop. It was undoubtedly a SolarAid product as there is no other supplier of such a product anywhere in Malawi.

When Brave entered the shop, the owner was enjoying himself with music blazing from his small radio. Curiosity overshadowed Brave's thirst; hence the first thing he asked for was the solar gadget over the intended drink. He asked where Mr Banda had bought the gadget and how useful it was to him. Mr Banda told him that he bought it from somebody from Kavuzi who has links with the manufacturers in Mzuzu. (Note that Kavuzi is our sales group in Nkhata Bay).

The shop owner went on to explain to the "ignorant" Brave that the small panel is used to charge his and others' mobile phones as well as light his shop and play his radio. He practically demonstrated how to use it.

The inquisitive Brave persisted in asking questions and he was told that for each phone charged, the client pays K50 (about 23p) and he charges about 4 mobile phones per day on average which is K200 (about 90p). On a weekly basis it means he makes K1400 (£6.50) and in a month this amounts to K5600 (£26) as total income from the phone charging business. As a matter of fact, this money realised in a month means that he was able to recover the money he used to buy the solar product during the first month! Good business opportunity, isn't it?

Some boys in Katoto demonstrate how to charge a mobile phone using Kadzuwa MOC 18

Brave then ordered a drink and enjoyed it to the maximum having heard the amazing story of SolarAid's Kadzuwa Moc 18 solar product. But he never disclosed his identity or his connection to the wonder product for the obvious reasons.

Brave Mhone, SolarAid's Sales Coordinator