Smiling Through Light

I am deeply honoured and grateful to be selected as a 2026 UMI100 Honouree. ✨

Today, as UMI officially launches the Umi100 2026 celebration, I join an incredible community of women whose stories, leadership, resilience, and impact continue to inspire change across different spheres of life.

As the Founder & Director of Smiling Through Light, this recognition means so much to me because it reflects not only my journey in advancing clean energy access and empowering women in Sierra Leone, but also the importance of creating opportunities that transform communities and uplift future generations.

Balancing purpose-driven work while raising my four-year-old daughter has taught me strength, patience, and the beauty of leading with compassion. Motherhood continues to inspire me to build a brighter and more inclusive future for others.

Congratulations to all the amazing women being celebrated as part of the Umi100 2026 community. Your stories matter, your work matters, and your impact is changing lives every day. Thank you to Umi for Mothers for this incredible honour and for creating a platform that celebrates women and mothers so powerfully. 💛

Wrapping up an inspiring three days at the LMD Forum and Global Distributors Collective (GDC) Member Learning & Collaboration Event in Nairobi last week.

What stood out most to me is just how much the Global Distributors Collective (GDC) community has grown, not just in numbers, but in depth, diversity and strength. The room was filled with entrepreneurs, operators and leaders who are building real solutions in some of the most complex environments.

My biggest takeaway: the sheer volume of innovation coming out of African last mile distribution businesses.

Across the sessions, site visits and conversations, it was clear that locally-led African enterprises are not waiting for perfect conditions, they are actively designing, testing and scaling solutions that meet the realities of their communities. From logistics and financing models to customer engagement and technology use, the level of creativity and resilience is remarkable ✨

And yet, a key tension remains.

Despite being deeply rooted in their communities and delivering meaningful, measurable impact, many of these businesses still face significant barriers to funding. There’s a disconnect there.

Because if impact, proximity to the customer and long-term contribution to development truly matter, then locally-led African businesses are not just part of the story, they are the story. They are driving access, creating jobs, building systems and contributing directly to the continent’s growth.

Last week reinforced for me that the future of last mile distribution is local, collaborative and African-led.

Grateful for the learning, the honesty and the shared commitment to doing the work that truly matters ✨

Day 1 of the 2026 LMD Forum in Nairobi is a wrap — and what a powerful start.

Today brought together last mile distributors, funders and ecosystem partners to align around a shared vision for the future of the sector. From the Global Distributors Collective (GDC)’s 2030 strategy to deep, practical conversations about scaling impact, one theme stood out clearly: the future of last mile distribution will be locally led, collaborative and innovation-driven.

What stayed with me most were the real stories of innovation from fellow LMDs. Not just ideas in theory, but lived experiences — navigating risk, adapting business models, embracing e-commerce and building resilient systems in complex environments. Those honest insights and demonstrations of what’s working (and what isn’t) were incredibly valuable.

We also dug into:
• What it takes to build strong, country-led systems and leadership
• The realities of scaling — from accessing finance to knowing when to grow
• How to better position LMDs for investment and what investors are really looking for

The conversations were candid, practical, and grounded in experience — exactly what this sector needs more of.

Grateful to be in a space where learning is shared so openly and where the focus is not just on impact, but on how we build sustainable, scalable models to deliver it.

Looking forward to Day 2 — especially the deep dives into AI, business performance, and strengthening our models.

Thank you Transforming Energy Access Global Distributors Collective (GDC) for putting together such a great learning event✨

So nice to once again connect with my sister on this journey Liliane Munezero Ndabaneze Chabuka 😊