Clean Cooking innovation pilot in Refugee Settlement

Summary The project will promote solar powered energy efficient stoves in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement through improving accessibility for refugees to quality and affordable clean energy solutions & maintenance. Given the scarcity of natural resources in Kyangwali, there is huge demand for affordable and accessible energy solutions for refugee and host populations. Most refugee and host community households in Kyangwali cook on inefficient cookstoves due to a lack of alternatives. This problem of poor energy access is one which disproportionately impacts women and children as they tend to spend the most time exposed to indoor air pollutants. The burden of gathering fuel also falls on them. In Kyangwali, children alone spend 2 hours/day collecting fuel. Female refugees are often exposed to gender-based violence (GBV) on these paths to collect fuel. CARE’s gender approach and use of community dialogues will ensure the challenges faced by women around this issue are identified and addressed. Two complementary programmes will be developed with an integrated gender approach. Firstly, the User Referral Bonus Model. African Clean Energy will make their improved cookstove & clean energy system, the ACE One, affordable to refugees in Kyangwali by selling it on a User Referral Bonus (URB) model whereby participating refugee and host community members will be able to reduce the monthly instalments on which they purchase the product by recommending it to a friend. Secondly Briquetting Business. Under this programme, the Kabarole Research Centre will pass their knowledge of clean, biomass briquette production onto local farming cooperatives/ Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLAs) to empower them to set up their own briquetting businesses. Each business will be equipped with the tools to produce affordable briquettes for sale amongst the target population.