In the past month, the first goodgets have been sold to local entrepreneurs in Ghana. This means we are in business selling a range of high quality solar lamps, adjustable eyeglasses, solar mobile phone chargers and water purification devices.
Besides targeting Shell shops and other retail points in and around Accra – the capital city of Ghana – we have set up a local Goodget demonstration team to demonstrate the products to women entrepreneurs. Interested entrepreneurs can get a loan to buy stock, and they are trained to sell the products themselves.
Informing people about the benefits of solar energy is a very important part of our work. Solar lamps are safer than kerosine lamps that can cause burns and fires. Also, solar lamps are cheaper, because there is no need to buy kerosine or prepaid energy. Having a solar lamp in the house means that people are not dependent any more on the policies of the Ghanaian government which has recently rationed power supply: people connected to the grid will only get 12 hours of electricity per day. This is a major setback for many people in the urban areas, but at the same time an opportunity to switch to renewable and cheaper energy sources.
In the next month, we hope to sell out the stock we have in Ghana, and place a new order with our suppliers. In the mean time, we will continue the search for a suitable office and storage space in Accra, so we can further streamline our operations. Also, we will continue to look for new leads and possibilities to make our products available to the people who can best use them: the underserved people in the urban and rural areas of Ghana.