Lighting the Roadsides: Empowering Roadside traders through transformative solar lights along Nakuru-Kericho Highway.
Women form a majority of traders along Nakuru Highway. Many women vendors are located at Naivasha, Salgaa, Sachangwan, Londiani Junction and Chepseon within the Nakuru-Kericho Highway. Women market vendors’ plays a crucial role in the economy of Kenya .Roadside trading is generally a greater source of employment for women than for men. The work blends very well with women’s domestic reproductive roles due to its flexibility, low cost of entry and low skills requirements. From selling fruits and vegetables to selling prepared meals, these women provide a source of income to their households. Most of these traders locate themselves at strategic points along main roads where they can be seen by pedestrians and motorists.
A major factor limiting these women from achieving optimal economic empowerment through roadside trading is lack of lighting infrastructure on the roadside. Most women vendors operate in makeshift stalls mainly made of polythene sheeting. The government is reluctant to install roadside lights along the roads as roadside traders are seen as obstructing traffic and therefore a public nuisance. Though electricity grid supply could be a few metres away from the roadside, connecting electric power to small, isolated and temporary stalls can be expensive and costly. The sustainable solution therefore is the use of portable solar powered lamps. The solar systems have no recurrent costs, affordable and since they are portable, they can still be used at the home. Light from these lamps would help roadside traders attract customers because someone at a distance would tell their presence. The solar lights can also build the confidence of the traders about and enhance safety and as a result, they would extend their businesses to the night. Through this project, Women businesses are expected to gain momentum owing to extra hours that they would extend at night. The solar lamps would play a huge role in facilitating a safe and secure environment especially for the women who are prone to gender violence.
Project budget
USD 25000
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