Innocent Sulley

2023 Fellow from Tanzania

Innocent James Sulley is an entrepreneur who founded Soma Group, an initiative that has made reading more accessible for more than 61,000 children in rural communities who lack electricity and other infrastructure. Innocent started the initiative by launching reading clubs for children. He wanted to enable more children to read, particularly those from remote communities in Tanzania who have limited access to facilities. He created a network of mobile libraries (Soma carts) stocked with thousands of books. The mobile libraries travel to schools, playgrounds, and streets in the Mwanza, Geita, Manyara, Kilimanjaro, and Tanga regions. Innocent realized that many children in rural areas were unable to read after school because they lacked electricity in their homes. He designed a solar-powered bag made from 60% recycled materials, which can provide up to eight hours of light at a time. He has rolled out production of the bags, establishing Soma Factory, which can produce more than 6,000 bags a month. Innocent holds a bachelor's degree in Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions, and Contract Management. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, he plans to scale up his business initiatives to serve more children.

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