Azuri Technologies launches inspiring women's awards
Azuri Technologies, a pioneer in pay-as-you-go solar home solutions for off-grid Africa, has announced its inaugural Inspiring Women's Awards to celebrate women's empowerment and influence in rural communities.
Based on peer feedback, the 10 most inspirational female staff, including field agents and customer care representatives of the solar company's Kenyan network, have been recognised for their outstanding contributions. The award is part of Azuri's Brighter Lives initiative which works to empower rural women in Sub-Saharan Africa through access to technology, in-depth commercial and technical training and equal opportunities employment.
One of the winners, Dynnah Pesa, said: "I am so grateful to hear that I am inspiring to my peers. I was the first one to begin selling the items in Kakamega and so happy to now be a team leader. I strive to encourage my team so that they can succeed and in turn provide for their families. I am so happy to see that they voted for me. This has given me a push to keep on encouraging my team."
Nominations for the awards included recommendations from agents inspired to join Azuri from seeing female role models in their jobs, team leaders impressed by their colleagues' work ethic and appreciative new-starters looking to celebrate their female mentors.
Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Hon. Charles Keter, said: "On this International Women's day, I would like to offer my congratulations to the winners of the Inspiring Women's Awards. I trust this public recognition will inspire even more women to join the renewable energy industry and support Kenya's transition to clean energy for all."
Jane Marriott, the British High Commissioner, said: "Congratulations to the wonderful women recognised by this award on International Women's Day, a chance to celebrate those women who deserve our recognition and gratitude all year round. Businesses for the future need diverse workforces at their heart, so I'm delighted to see this initiative from Azuri. The UK is proud to support gender equality in Kenya and across the world, which is more vital than ever as we build cleaner, greener societies for future generations."
Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO of Azuri said: "Brighter Lives was created to encourage full and active participation of women in the Azuri workforce. On this first anniversary of the launch of the program, I am delighted to see the impact that has been achieved and its effect on encouraging more women into the workplace."
Azuri's Brighter Lives initiative was launched in February 2020 and features a program of tailored recruitment, training and mentoring specifically targeting rural women who are largely under-represented in the workplace. The programme is designed to help women build success together, learning from role models and creating powerful bonds to improve business success.
