Energy is a prerequisite for meeting basic needs, yet many extremely poor households in locations that host refugees lack access to basic energy sources. A similar experience was encountered by Gladys Nyakato, living in Kyegegwa District in Western Uganda.
The 41-year old’s primary concern was the wastage of resources on small counterfeit solar products such as solar panels, batteries and light bulbs. “The solar products we purchased from weekly markets frequently broke down due to technical issues, mostly every six months, leaving us without reliable lighting or a way to charge my phone. Replacing faulty batteries would cost approximately UGX 80,000 (21 Euros) in a period of six months. At times we slept in darkness, took my phone to the neighbours for charging, and my children’s studying was hindered. I resorted to small torches,” confirms Gladys.
The counterfeit solar products cost her an average of UGX 160,000 (42 Euros) per year and a small torch cost UGX 1,000 per month, nonetheless, she would back it up with a phone light and after-sales services were inaccessible, given the location where the products were purchased. In order to address these problems, Gladys would farm or acquire loans from village savings groups. While saving approximately UGX 7,000 (2 Euros) weekly in two community savings groups, Gladys' seven-member household was dependent on growing maize and beans.
In July 2023, she enrolled in the Sustainable Market Inclusive Livelihood pathways to Self-Reliance (SMILES) project, where she engaged in various sessions such as Village Saving and Loans Association, coaching, good agronomic practices, animal husbandry. She also received UGX 93,000 (24 Euros) in a monthly cash stipend for food for eight months, a phone, and a UGX 262,500 (69 Euros) business cash grant.
“We gained knowledge about business, self-efficacy, food security, child growth and development, saving culture, and general household planning. I learnt how to create a SMART plan from this, which helped me become self-reliant," explains Gladys.
The monthly cash stipend for food was utilised to meet her basic needs and save UGX 10,000 (3 Euros) per month. Gladys further combined loans from the different savings groups where she subscribes, profits from her farming business, and her business cash grant to employ her business plan for crop farming, majorly beans and maize.
“We rented one and a half acres of land at UGX 480,000 (126 Euros) and spent UGX 130,000 (34 Euros) on labour, totalling up to UGX 610,000, from which we made an approximate of UGX 1,250,000 (329 Euros) in harvest sales,” Gladys affirms.
Gladys learnt about a new solar energy programme from Bright Life Uganda, a private actor under the IKEA Foundation-funded SMILES project, during a Village Saving and Loans Association meeting. The programme aims at providing rural households with clean, affordable and quality renewable energy. Bright Life Uganda’s package includes three bright LED bulbs, a reliable solar-powered radio, and a USB port for phone charging—all available through an affordable payment plan. Determined to improve her situation, Gladys recognised the potentiality of a better solution in the solar system, therefore, she decided to make the purchase.
“I immediately made a deposit of UGX 20,000 (5 Euros); I currently pay UGX 3,500 (1 Euro) per week as part of the UGX 314,000 (83 Euros) required. The Bright Life Uganda solar system has security sensors, lighting levels, and is cost-effective. I feel at peace seeing my children living happily, studying, and playing even when its dark,” explains Gladys.
The impact was instant; the solar-powered radio provides access to farming programmes, gaining insights on pest control, crop rotation, and soil fertility management, which has helped her significantly increase her yields. The USB port enables her to keep her phone charged at all times without making any trips to the trading centre or neighbours for phone charging. This has enabled Gladys to easily communicate with loved ones, buyers, suppliers, and other farmers.
“I plan to continue paying my children’s school fees until they complete their education, as well as improve our housing structure, and everything else will fall into place,” concludes Gladys.
About the SMILES project
The Sustainable Market Inclusive Livelihood Pathways to Self-Reliance (SMILES) project is a five-year (November, 2022 – October, 2027) initiative funded by the IKEA Foundation. The project works with 14,000 households (extremely poor refugee and host community) comprising 70,000 individuals in Kyaka II and Kyangwali Refugee Settlements in Western Uganda with the aim of supporting them to become resilient.
The project delivers a graduation model integrated with a Market System Development approach targeting women and youth and their household members. Key sectors include livelihoods, agriculture, food security, protection, energy and environment. The project is implemented by AVSI Foundation in partnership with UNHCR and the Office of the Prime Minister and in a consortium with Innovations for Poverty Action, Renewable Energy, Powering Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods Enhancement (REPARLE), Makerere University Kampala, and DAI Global LLC.
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