The Shimilundu ladies in front of their new bicycles
SunnyMoney has launched a new, eco-friendly, fleet of bicycles to help sales agents bring solar lights to rural communities across Zambia. We call them the Solar Rollers! The bikes not only look cool – they help sales agents move around more quickly and visit harder-to-reach places. As Chanda Kombe explains:
‘Some of our sales agents have to travel many kilometres to reach their destination and to get light out to rural areas. This is a perfect time to use the bikes because the dry season has just begun.’
Brenda can access hard-to-reach communities with the help of the bike
One group that has benefitted from the Solar Roller Bikes is the Shimilundu ladies, a group of eleven women who help out at clinics in the area of Chifundo. To empower the group, who at the time had no income, Smart Mtonga, together with SunnyMoney, helped them access both lights and bikes on credit. They have been selling solar lights in rural areas since February 2019, which has helped them to earn money for food and household goods.
Brenda, one of the Shimilundu ladies, says that not only does the bicycle helped her stay in touch with old clients, but it has also helped her access to clients who stay very far away – which in turn has increased her solar lights sales.