25/11/2025
In Feb 2024 at Solar Nation, we came across an advert by MTN in the newspapers where MTN with partners that included ATC, DFCU, Innovation Village, PSFU, UN Women were to work together to support women led businesses by having such join their supply chain.
To Solar Nation it was a golden opportunity, so we applied and behold, we were among the 118 companies that were selected MTN, ATC, DFCU, NSSF and UNWOMEN offered trainings to us in key business principals, procurement, access to finance opportunities among others and how to register and access the opportunities they currently have.
The said ‘’We shall hand hold you’’ and indeed they did, though a tone of seriousness was set during the trainings and by the time we were into the business we knew it was an opportunity to respect, deliver on efficiently, effectively, work hard at as it was neither tokenism nor favoritism. To be a Woman we were told ‘’does not call for any sympathy and excuse to produce shoddy work’’. I once whispered to one of the technicians I attended an ATC training with and told him ‘’Do you feel the seriousness in the room??’’ Does anything look like a joke here?? So, we took up the work as our own, this same tone was driven to each staff at Solar Nation to avoid delay in our chain of delivery.
We are grateful that from April 2024 to date we have walked a successful Journey and as
beneficiaries of the AWE 1.0 we have installed solar systems on several telecom masts, Solar Nation has expanded, we have hired additional staff, we are now excellent in health and safety, and we have secured major project opportunities in and out of the country after joining AWE. We have been empowered and transformed indeed.
In addition as we celebrated our achievements Solar Nation while in Gulu for the launch of AWE 2.O received two awards One as a Certificate of Recognition for our commitment in completion of the Advancing Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Accelerator program and Contract Implementation in the supply chain process and two was the ATC Award of Excellence presented to Solar Nation SMC Ltd In recognition of our exceptional professionalism, technical expertise and outstanding contribution to solar site works installations with ATC Uganda under the AWE 1.O Program as our work has been instrumental in advancing ATC Uganda’s mission to deliver reliable and sustainable energy infrastructure solutions and hence contributing to ATC’S Dream of Building a more connected Uganda.
What an amazing Journey, from Solar Nation to MTN, ATC, DFCU Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
SNVRenewableenergy
