Five long weeks - from community sensitisation to graduation - the rural ladies from Oyo state stayed with the class and rose to assemble two varieties of solar lanterns.
The graduation ceremony was emotional, with "
Alhaja Jesu" saying she is illiterate, but after assembling solar lanterns from scratch, feels like a whole new educated person.
Then there's
Miss Alawode who breaks into song when the class gets difficult, and helps everyone overcome. She's also the fastest 'assembler', churning out more units than anyone else.
We cannot forget the trainee who has already invested in tools for her new solar micro-business - and wrote a mission statement to boot.
Or the trainer,
Momanyi, who is forever positive, pushing the ladies gently to believe they can scale any hurdle. His work ethic is amazing.
How about
Dave, Solar Jooce CEO, giving workshop direction, tirelessly providing supplies, and replacing every broken multimetre and soldering iron?
Kudos to
Bishop O. O. Oduntan who rallied the ladies of his Parish to perform.
Five wonderful weeks of hard work, team spirit, and exhilarating achievement.
The work has just begun, though, as we shepherd the ladies long-term to ensure they master their craft.
Thank you
BATN Foundation, for your support. And a big thanks to
Hertz for transporting us between Iseyin and Lagos the entire time.
