Being young in Borana, where its beauty is overshadowed by concurrent droughts and lack of opportunities, is often tough and can have devastating impact on your future prospects. This was the reality for, Kebede, Gulfa, Yando and Scahama. Each of them come from farming families and with the droughts and over 37 dependents under them, they often had to juggle different jobs.

So, when they discovered the Powerblox (PBX), it was an unexpected ray of sunshine.  The battery, allowed them to launch the “Gulufa, Sachama & Yando mobile charging MSE,” a micro-business that charged not just phones, but also powered a large portion of the town! They opened two branches, offering not only mobile charging but also a mini cinema, barbershop, and even printing services. Their MSE allowed for some business to grow from 26 weekly customers to 364, whilst giving them a steady income of 20,000 ETB.

But with great success comes growing pains. Customer demand boomed, and they worried their solar power wouldn’t handle it. They even used diesel generators on market days, which added to their fuel costs.  Despite these challenges,  they are planning to invest in more Powerblox (PBX) units. This will allow them to go to the next steps: buying refrigerators and selling cool drinks, something that is sorely needed due to the harsh weather in Borana. They’re no longer just surviving; they’re thriving, and their story shines bright!