A women’s dairy cooperative runs a thriving dairy shop with fresh milk preserved by solar-powered cooling. A shared workspace blends digital branding with traditional woodcraft, creating a hub of creativity and enterprise. These aren’t plans or dreams—they’re reality, made possible with renewable energy access.
Refugees in Rwanda are transforming their futures by using renewable energy to power businesses and community services, supported by our Renewable Energy for Refugees project in its second phase. Through the project’s focus on the Productive Use of Energy (PUE), entrepreneurs are gaining tools to grow their livelihoods, foster collaboration, and drive progress for their families and neighbours.
“Productive Use of Energy”?
PUE refers to using energy, particularly electricity, for activities that generate income, boost productivity, and deliver vital community services. It powers small businesses like phone-charging services and internet cafés, as well as schools, healthcare facilities, and water systems.
When combined with renewable energy sources like solar, PUE reduces environmental impacts, saves money, and helps communities adapt to climate change. For refugees and host communities, it offers the chance to build a better future with energy as the spark for progress.
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Using energy to change the future
In this project, refugee and host communities across five camps—Nyabiheke, Mugombwa, Kigeme, Mahama, and Kiziba— are empowered by making renewable energy tailored to their needs a tool to unlock opportunities. This includes:
- Solar home systems for households and small businesses.
- Improved cookstoves and clean fuels for homes.
- Solar-powered streetlights.
- Support for entrepreneurs through access to PUE appliances and business spaces.
Funded by Sida, in partnership with UNHCR and Rwanda’s Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management, we are about more than providing energy—it’s about using energy to drive progress.
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Hubs for success
In the past year, three business centres have been established, providing refugees and host community members with spaces to start or grow their businesses:
- Mugombwa Business Centre: 32 shops offering everything from haircuts to coffee.
- Kiziba Business Centre: 26 shops showcasing crafts, dry cleaning, and more.
- Mahama Business Centre: Completed in late 2024, set to house diverse businesses when it opens officially in February 2025.
These hubs aren’t just places to work—they’re spaces for connection and growth. Entrepreneurs access mentorship, affordable energy solutions, and the chance to collaborate, all while building their businesses and resilience. From shops filled with goods and services to people forging new paths, these centres highlight the transformational power of renewable energy.
- Dairy success for women
The Women’s Dairy Family Cooperative, owned by seven refugee women, operates a dairy shop that provides financial independence for its members while addressing a critical need in the community. A solar-powered cooling machine keeps milk fresh, reducing waste and increasing profits. The cooperative now earns 1.2 million Rwandan Francs (£700) monthly profits. With plans to reinvest in larger equipment, these women are poised to triple their income, proving the power of opportunity paired with innovation.
- A creative partnership that bridges generations
Elie Freddy Hategekimana, a software designer and photographer, and Francista Barume Tuyisenge, a wooden crafts artisan, share a shop at the Kiziba Business Center where digital and traditional art blend seamlessly. Despite their age gap (Elie in his late 20s and Barume in his mid-50s), their bond rooted in shared cultural experiences and a passion for art has flourished.
Their journey began at Kiziba Refugee Camp’s community centre, where limited space stifled their creativity. The business centre gave them a spacious and supportive environment to thrive. Elie’s digital services, including branding and passport photography, have doubled his clientele. He worked on the majority of the business centre’s entrepreneurs’ branding. Meanwhile, Barume’s wooden crafts have gained recognition beyond the camp, attracting clients from out of town. Together, they’re proving that with the right opportunities, creativity has no bounds.
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Powering a shared future
“The impact of productive use of energy has been incredibly rewarding,” says Denyse Umubyeyi, Practical Action Rwanda’s Country Director. “It has provided aspiring entrepreneurs with opportunities while fostering connections among different nationalities in the refugee camps and host communities. Seeing Congolese, Sudanese, Eritreans, Burundians, and Rwandans work together to achieve their goals is both uplifting and inspiring.”
As the RE4RII project continues, it lights the way to a brighter future for refugees and host communities in Rwanda, proving energy isn’t just power—it’s potential.