This story has originally been published in daily “The News International” during November 2025. 

Solar energy and basic technical training are enabling widows and low-income women in Sindh and South Punjab to build small home-based businesses, earn stable incomes, and feed their families with nutritious food.

Under a pilot project supported by HarvestPlus Solutions, women are running solar-powered chakkis (small scale flour mill) that produce zinc-enriched wheat flour, creating both livelihoods and better nutrition in their communities. 

Among them is Jamila, a widowed mother of three from Khanewal, who lost her husband in a road accident ten years ago. With no savings and little family support, she struggled to provide for her daughters and often went hungry to feed them. 

Today, her solar-powered flour mill sustains her household, pays for her children’s education, and serves as a model of how renewable energy and basic training can transform the lives of women left behind by tragedy.

“I had nothing left after my husband died,” she said while operating her solar-powered chakki mill. “The solar system and the training provided by HarvestPlus Solutions gave me the courage to start again. Now I can run my home with dignity and feed my community with nutritious food.”

Jamila’s journey began when she received support from HarvestPlus Solutions under Expanding Nutrients in Food Systems project, funded through HarvestPlus by the Government of Canada. Through the initiative, she was trained in food production, small business management, and marketing, and provided with a chakki mill and solar energy system. 

The setup reduced her electricity costs by more than half and ensured uninterrupted operations even during power outages, while providing lighting for her home at night.

Her chakki mill produces whole-grain zinc wheat flour that is both nutritious and affordable, benefiting her community while creating a steady income for her family. By selling within her village, Jamila has become a local example of how access to clean energy and basic tools can empower women in rural Pakistan.

Pakistan continues to rank among the lowest in the Global Gender Gap Index, with millions of women still financially dependent due to social barriers, lack of access to credit, and limited mobility. Among them are hundreds of thousands of widows who lose their husbands to terrorism, workplace accidents, and rising cases of early heart attacks and strokes. 

Many remain dependent on in-laws for food and shelter, while social pressure often prevents them from seeking work or starting small businesses.

For such women, solar-powered flour mills offer a practical and sustainable way to earn a dignified living. A complete setup costs around USD 3500 to 5000, including installation. Supporting 5,000 widows with similar systems would require one-time investment of around USD 20 million, which could help transform rural economy, improve nutrition, and livelihoods of thousands of women and children in Pakistan.

Jamila is among many women in Punjab and Sindh who have established solar-powered mills through the HarvestPlus Solution’s pilot program. These women are quietly challenging stereotypes by working from home while contributing to local food security and rural economy. 

Their enterprises cut dependence on diesel and unreliable electricity, reduce carbon emissions, and make affordable, nutrient-rich food available in their communities.

Experts say empowering women through renewable energy creates a chain of positive change. “When women earn, families eat better, children stay in school, and communities become stronger,” said M. Yaqub Mujahid, Country Manager at HarvestPlus Solutions. “It’s not just about energy, it’s about inclusion, opportunity, and dignity.”

In regions like southern Punjab and interior Sindh, where poverty and climate shocks often go hand in hand, clean energy is becoming a tool for resilience. By combining solar technology with women-led food production, HarvestPlus Solutions is helping women build small but sustainable businesses that promote nutrition and self-reliance.

Jamila’s story reflects the quiet transformation taking place in Pakistan’s rural heartlands. With the right training and access to renewable energy, widows and single mothers can rise above dependency to build secure futures for their children. 

As the sun sets, Jamila shuts down her mill while her daughters study under solar light—a light that now represents dignity, stability, and hope for thousands of women across Pakistan.