WHAT HUMANITARIAN NEED IS BEING ADDRESSED?

Worldwide, 2.6 billion people lack access to clean cooking facilities. Women and girls in rural, off-grid areas are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to clean cooking facilities, especially in humanitarian settings. The consequences of inaction are vast: inefficient cooking methods contribute to the preventable death of nearly 4 million people each year; Uganda is expected to lose most of its forest cover in less than 25 years ; in Bidibidi refugee camp, women are currently spending 2-3 hours collecting fuelwood almost every day; and current consumption of natural resources is causing tension between host and refugee communities.

WHAT IS THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTION AND HOW WILL IT IMPROVE EXISTING HUMANITARIAN PRACTICE?

As cooking is central to human survival it will continue to be an integral element in dealing with any mass displacement of people.  Price is a prohibitive factor and a primary reason for non-adoption of Improved Cookstoves and even those who already purchase fuel are deterred by the high upfront cost. Poor consumer protection, lack of quality assurance, and designs that are not tailored to local needs, have also undermined trust in products. By localising product assembly, working through a VSLA retail model and integrating a carbon credit scheme we aim to create a sustainable business model that addresses the current gap in access to affordable, high quality and clean cooking and lighting solutions in humanitarian settings. To further increase affordability, a flexible Pay-As-You-Cook (PAYC) payment scheme which allows the user to pay per usage over a maximum period of 5 years, will be tested.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

By refining our approach, we intend to create a sustainable business model that can be adapted to additional markets. By the end of 2022 we will have scaled our impact to 6,000 households, equal to 28,200 people, across Uganda and Kenya in humanitarian, peri-urban and urban settings. The ECOCA will be assembled in locally owned and managed cooperatives and delivered by retailer networks who also provide post-sale services. PAYC technology will also be developed, allowing the ECOCA to become more accessible to people with low incomes or those who lack access to financial services. After a down payment equal to one months payment, repayment can be tailored to household preferences, increasing the likelihood of vulnerable households being able to purchase a high quality, clean cooking and lighting solution.