For more than a year, Balikis Rufai’s neighbourhood in Epe, a suburb of Lagos, has had no grid electricity. As a market seller, this causes problems for Mrs Balikis — without power, she can’t charge her phone, and her phone runs her business.
“My phone is my bank,” she says. “It’s what I use for transactions, and as a calculator for my market.”
The other available solutions for Balikis to charge her phone, such as solar home systems, which require a deposit and ongoing payments, are out of reach.
“I can’t afford house solar for myself because it’s too expensive,” she says.
When MOPO50 became available in Epe, it changed things for Mrs. Balikis. She now rents the small, portable battery to power her phone, keeping her business running. The flexibility to rent MOPO50 for 6, 12 or 24 hours, as often as needed, without a deposit or contract makes it easy for Balikis to manage according to her cash flow.
With her phone charged, she can keep track of her business. “I need to know the money that is coming in,” she says. “If my phone is off, I can’t do it.”
The MOPO50 has made life at home easier too. She uses its light to see while cooking in the kitchen, and charges a rechargeable fan to get through hot nights.
