SMILING THROUGH LIGHT OPENS A NEW HUB IN PORT LOKO DISTRICT
“Since the installation, I've been thrilled with the performance of my new SPARK solar product providing me access to bright light for my household.” – Port Loko Customer
On 3rd February 2025, Smiling Through Light (STL) official opened its new hub in Port Loko District expanding its operations and commitment to providing affordable solar solutions to communities in need and a strategic sales point within the district. The new hub is situated at 81 Falaba Road, Port Loko, Sierra Leone.
Port Loko District is located in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. It shares borders with several important regions, including the Western Area, Kambia District to the north, and Bombali District to the east. It’s location places it strategically between the capital, Freetown, and the more rural areas of Sierra Leone. The district has a varied landscape, with the northern region characterised by lowland savannahs and the southern part consisting of more forested areas. The district has a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, making it significant in terms of trade, fishing, and transportation. The chief town of the district is Port Loko, which serves as an administrative and commercial hub. The district’s road network connects several important villages and towns, enhancing trade and mobility within the region.
In August 2024, the EA Foundation funded £30,000 to Smiling Through Light to Improve Rural Communities Energy Access through PAYG Solar. Through this project we will be opening a new hub in Port Loko, strengthening our Freetown Head Office, selling PAYG Solar Home Systems in rural communities in Port Loko through our network of female sales agents, creating 8 new jobs, supporting our operational expenditures including our digital platforms and systems integration, community engagement event on financial literacy and facilitate wider educational opportunities and promotion of energy access through different marketing channels. The funding will be used to pilot our new hub in Port Loko and share learning and impact from that community about our new PAYG operations.
The process of setting up the hub included community engagement activities with key stakeholders, identifying the hub location, development of the hub, staff recruitment, staff training on digital systems and solar installation, sales of SPARK Solar Products and community engagement events through Luma markets. This has resulted in increased community understanding of clean energy products, participation and positive change leading to stronger more resilient communities having access to clean energy solutions.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS FROM PORT LOKO
“My new product is supporting my children to study which will increase their educational grades.”
“With my new solar product, I am saving money on my energy bills.”
"Great product with bright light and very good phone charging facility.”
"Thanks to STL I am pretty much self-sufficient now. The sun is free, and I am using it to my best advantage."
The STL Team would like to extend our thanks to the EA Foundation for the funding to make this happen.
