If people don’t get access to solar lights, there will be more robberies and accidents. But when there is light, there is safety, learning, and peace.
Eveless
Eveless’s Story
Light and Opportunity in Malawi
Eveless lives in Mtambo village in Malawi with her husband and three children. There is no electricity or piped water. The nearest sizeable town is 25 miles away along a dirt track, so even basic supplies depend on a long trip and whatever you can carry back. When daylight fades, the village goes dark and life slows to what can be done without power or running water. Mtambo is a “last mile” community, meaning it sits at the far edge of services and supply routes, where essentials like electricity, safe water and regular deliveries reach last.
It’s Mtambo’s remoteness that makes Eveless’s work selling solar products as part of a local women’s group so important. And the income helps cover essentials while she builds business skills for the future.
Eveless’s work is practical and hands on. Each day, the group meets to agree a plan and share out products, then they head to different households to sell. This often involves walks of miles just to get to the villages. Eveless told us: “We walk far but bringing light to others brings me joy”. At the end of the day, they come back together to share successes and challenges.
The products are made for everyday survival, from a small portable light to larger systems with multiple bulbs, phone charging and even a radio. In a place this remote, they need to be durable because if something breaks, you cannot simply replace it quickly. Customers tell Eveless they are “durable and useful”, and she sells around 100 solar products each month.
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Powering health and education
One customer story shows why this matters. Eveless sold a family a small solar light with one bulb, and the family now uses it so their children can study at night. It also means they can move more safely after dark, including walking to the hospital when someone is sick.
Running a business in this context comes with real pressures. Eveless says her biggest challenge is having enough food, with basics like soap also hard to afford, and some days involve long walks to sell products. Even so, she is clear about what keeps her going: “I love learning how to run a business, it excites me.”
Eveless has goals at home and in her work. She hopes to afford a better roof for her house, and to build up food and savings for her family. For her community, her message is simple: “I want everyone to have access to light. When people have light, their lives are better.”
Eveless’s business and the Global Distributors Collective
Eveless’s business is a member of the Global Distributors Collective (GDC). The GDC supports last mile distributors like Eveless, who get life changing products to people who are underserved by mainstream markets.
The GDC is hosted by Practical Action, alongside strategic and implementing partner Bopinc. It is a collective of almost 200 last mile distribution companies, created to make last mile distribution a priority so beneficial products can be affordable and available to all. The GDC supports members to improve business performance and grow, and it strengthens the sector through shared learning, research and a collective voice that helps ensure distributors’ experience is heard.
Find out more about the Global Distributor’s Collective.