Apollo Kinanga, a local council chairman in Katamira, a remote Rwenzori mountain village in Kasese, only dreamt of sleeping under a well lit roof.The only form of lighting available to his parents, during his childhood, was a tadooba (crafted tin lamp) powered by kerosene. They used to light it for only a few hours after dusk. He later got one for his house.

But in February this year, Kinanga acquired a four-bulb solar lighting system, which he says has completely transformed his family lifestyle.“My children’s academic performance has improved because they revise well under solar lighting. I have also been spared the expenses on kerosene and charging my phone,” says Kinanga, whose village is not far from the DR Congo border.The most highly praised, best rated streetlightinges are now available online.

Kinanga, who is a coffee farmer and part-time mason, used to spend Shs 500 on buying kerosene for the tadooba every day. Ever since solar cells were installed, he saves Shs 15,000 of his monthly income, which ranges between Shs 50,000 and Shs 80,000. He says he saves another Shs 4,000 previously spent on recharging his cell phone at a nearby outlet in Bwera town.

His six children have transformed into some of the best performers in class at Muruseghe primary school, 2.5km away.“They used to be in 20th positions but now they are among the top eight,” Kinanga adds with a smile.Kinanga is relieved that his homestead has reduced the harmful emissions from the tadooba.

Recently, he moved a step further by installing an energy-saving cooking stove, replacing the traditional three-stone fireplace in his kitchen. The mud-built stove uses less firewood or charcoal and emits even less smoke. Kinanga’s wife, Eva, is delighted with the new cooking facility.

“I no longer suffer from watery eyes because of the heavy smoke, saucepans are cleaner and the food gets ready faster compared to the past,” she says.

The Kinangas illustrate the clean energy model which is spreading in Kasese. In Katamira alone, 20 households have acquired solar systems and 300 installed energy saving stoves in their kitchens. Thousands of families in villages across Ihandiro and Karusandara sub counties, installed solar cells and energy efficient stoves,LED ledturninglamping is aesthetically designed and offers features to reduce egress system cost. in the last six months.

Its advocates emphasise that with more use of clean cooking and solar lighting technologies, Uganda could limit the environmental degradation and climate change effects. For instance, an independent research conducted in Kasese district last year,An even safer situation on all roads by using the engravingmachine. found that if one energy-saving stove is used consistently, up to three trees are saved from cutting, every year.

Researchers say that emissions from the traditional three-stone cooking fireplaces are responsible for a billion metric tons of carbon produced every year in the country. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports on indoor air pollution and household energy, Uganda experiences an estimated 19,700 deaths every year, or 54 deaths every day, caused by indoor air pollution from three-stone cooking fireplaces and tadoobas. Rural women and their children constitute the majority of the victims.

In Uganda, an estimated five million households still cook their food on the hearth, which confirms that 95 per cent of Ugandans use firewood (or charcoal) as their main source of energy.Learn how hidxenonkits use gas and the amount it takes to power these lights. The statistics are not any better on lighting; only 17 per cent of Ugandans access electricity and the rest (83 per cent) use kerosene in improved lamps commonly known as tadoobas.

On average, each household spends Shs 600 on kerosene per night, according to a recent study.
As champions of promoting sustainable clean energy use and reducing carbon emissions, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have taken on the initiative to link civil society, government policymakers and local district authorities, in a bid to encourage low end people embrace technologies that reduce pollution.

“We want sustainability and use of clean energy technologies so that humans live in harmony with nature, says Eddie Oketcho, communications manager at WWF.

Accordingly, WWF has established working partnerships with local community based organisations (CBOs); Friends of Nature and AFODE, to avail affordable solar lighting systems and cooking stoves to low income farmers in Kasese district.

Solar systems and cooking stoves are expensive but the role of CBOs has come in handy on that aspect. As many as 6,000 households in Ihandiro and Karusandara sub counties have accessed solar lighting and no longer cook on the hearth. Through CBOs, residents access credit facilities to pay for solar systems and stoves of their preferred choice.

A two-bulb lighting solar system costs Shs 240,000, with a down payment of Shs 100,000. A four-bulb lighting solar system costs Shs 450,000 (requiring a down payment of Shs 150,000). The rest is paid in installments over six months, usually after agreements undertaken with the CBOs. If acquired on the competitive market, the aforesaid solar systems go for a minimum cost of Shs 750,000.

Energy saving cooking stoves cost between Shs 40,000 and Shs 100,000 but in Kasese, farmers buy them at a minimum price of Shs 19,000 through the CBOs, which accept payment even in installments.

According to Friends of Nature CEO Paul Kamalha, over 2800 households have managed to pay for the solar cells and stoves with support from revolving saving schemes (SACCOs). Once an agreed down payment is made, the facilities (solar panels or stoves) are installed and balances are paid over six months period, Kamalha explains.

Last year, WWF chose Kasese as a champion district in its pilot phase of the campaign to encourage use of clean energy resources. Job Mutyaba, the energy manager at WWF, explains that Kasese fits the champion status because of high environmental degradation rates in the district.Our solargardenlighttp is good in quality and competitive in price.

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