Solar company d.light has settled close to US$ 1 million to settle loans taken by their customers who faced financial challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
d.light COO, Jacob Okoth, said the firm was offering this assistance in a bid to ease their suffering while they find new economic activities that could help them service their product loans.
The funds are being disbursed to the firm’s suppliers who in turn exoect regular payments from d.light customers.
Mr. Okoth said, “Covid-19 has hurt many livelihoods as breadwinners have lost jobs while other have seen their incomes from their businesses slump. That informed our decision to help them settle product loan repayments amounting to Sh100 million.”
D.Light allows customers to get its products via loans serviced on a monthly basis. The loans currently sit north of 10 million dollars. The firm has service centers around the country which have collectively employed close to 3000 people.
The firm opened a national call center in Nairobi where 700 customer care personnel will work. D.light has also adopted a franchising model, and has since signed up 600 independent dealers to sell their products as well as offer after-sales services to their customers.
According to d.light’s website, the firm is a “global leader and pioneer in delivering affordable solar-powered solutions designed for the two billion people in the developing world without access to reliable energy.”
d.light provides distributed solar energy solutions for households and small businesses that are transforming the way people all over the world use and pay for energy. Through four hubs in Africa, China, South Asia and the United States, the company has sold over 20 million solar light and power products in 70 countries, improving the lives of over 100 million people.