Zobeyda lives in a rural community. She is married and has two children. Her daughter, Meydelin, is seven years old. Her son, Michael, is five years old. Both of them attend the community school. Zobeyda has had a grocery store for one year. It has been an important source of income in order to support her household. Her husband is a workman, and his salary is not enough to support the family. Therefore, it is important to both of them to have this small business.

There are no electric lights in her community, and it is very difficult for them to run their grocery store at night. They currently use candles, kerosene, and lights with batteries to light up the place. However, these only work for two hours. It is important to Zobeyda and her husband to have light in their home so that their children manage to be safer and so that they are not exposed to an accident with the candles and illnesses from the kerosene smoke.

That is why Zobeyda is requesting a loan to buy a 100 watt solar panel. This will benefit the whole family with clean energy. “With the solar panel I will be able to tend to the grocery store in the evenings and my children will do some school work. Using candles, kerosene, and lights [run by batteries], I spend too much. I really hope that you help me get this loan to buy a solar panel because I am sure that all of the houses nearby will also benefit.”