Solar Sister – Advancing Clean Energy Access Across Africa

Solar Sister is a US-based nonprofit social enterprise that works to end energy poverty and advance women’s economic empowerment across Tanzania, Nigeria, and Kenya. Founded in 2009, Solar Sister recruits, trains, and supports local women entrepreneurs who distribute affordable clean energy products—such as solar lights and clean cookstoves—to remote, last-mile communities.

With a growing network of more than 12,100 women entrepreneurs reaching over 5.5 million people, Solar Sister’s impact has expanded rapidly. As the organization scaled its operations, so did the need for new ways to support entrepreneurs working in geographically dispersed regions with limited internet connectivity.

Supporting Thousands of Entrepreneurs in Low-Connectivity Environments

Solar Sister’s entrepreneurs rely on ongoing guidance to run their businesses successfully. Questions about sales planning, market opportunities, and access to nearby services are a natural part of everyday work in the field.

However, providing timely support at scale proved challenging. Traditional coaching models depended heavily on manual processes and field staff, which limited reach to only a few hundred entrepreneurs per month. At the same time, internet-based digital tools were not a viable option in many operating regions.

One thing was clear: basic mobile phones and SMS were widely available, even where internet access was unreliable.

Solar Sister recognized the need for a new approach—one that could deliver consistent, real-time guidance without requiring smartphones, apps, or connectivity beyond SMS.

A New Approach to Business Guidance via SMS

Skillwell partnered with Solar Sister to design and implement an AI-powered SMS intelligence solution that enables entrepreneurs to receive business guidance simply by sending a text message.

The objective was not to replace human support, but to complement it—making guidance available whenever it is needed and removing the bottlenecks of manual coaching.

Using natural language, entrepreneurs can ask questions in their own words. The system analyzes the message, understands the context and language, and responds with practical, location-aware guidance—delivered directly via SMS.

The solution is available 24/7, requires no internet connection, and works on basic mobile phones.

Intelligent Technology Built for Real-World Conditions

The system is powered by Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, which enables conversational AI reasoning, multilingual understanding, and context-aware responses. AWS serverless services ensure the solution scales automatically as usage grows, while remaining cost-efficient and reliable.

Special attention was paid to privacy and data protection. All messages are encrypted, and personal data is minimized by design. Only authorized Solar Sister personnel can access conversation data, ensuring a clear separation between system operations and sensitive information.

To ensure reliable SMS delivery across sub-Saharan Africa, the solution integrates with Africa’s Talking, a regional SMS provider with extensive local coverage. English and Swahili are supported from the start, with promising early results in additional regional languages.

The result is a system that fits seamlessly into the daily reality of entrepreneurs in the field—rather than asking them to adapt to new technology.

From Manual Support to Scalable Intelligence

Before the solution was introduced, entrepreneurs often had to wait hours or days for answers. Today, the system delivers responses in under 30 seconds, enabling real-time decision-making in the field.

At the same time, automation significantly reduces operational costs. Each SMS interaction costs only a few cents, making it possible to sustainably support the entire entrepreneur network as it continues to grow.

What was previously limited to a small fraction of users can now scale to all 12,100+ entrepreneurs, without increasing operational complexity.

Looking Ahead – A Platform for Continued Impact

The AI-powered SMS solution is currently in pilot use in Kenya, with plans to expand across Tanzania and Nigeria. Early results demonstrate that intelligent, low-bandwidth solutions can play a meaningful role in empowering women entrepreneurs and improving access to clean energy in last-mile communities.

While further work remains—such as expanding systematic testing across additional local languages—the foundation is in place. Solar Sister now has a scalable platform that grows alongside its mission.

Technology in Service of Empowerment

This collaboration shows how advanced AI can be applied in a practical, human-centered way. By combining SMS accessibility, intelligent automation, and AWS cloud scalability, Solar Sister can support women entrepreneurs wherever they are—without requiring new devices, infrastructure, or digital skills.

The result is not just a technical solution, but a stronger support system for women building businesses, strengthening communities, and expanding clean energy access across sub-Saharan Africa.