
Potential entrepreneurs checking out the Sun King solar lamp
Access to electricity in Uganda is limited for most of the population. The Ugandan census of 2002 reported that 7.7% of households used electricity for lighting (37% of urban households and 2.6% of rural households) this was up from 5.6% in 1991. In contrast, 74.8% of households (33.3% of urban and 88.2% of rural) were using “tadooba”, a form of paraffin candle, for lighting
Fuel-based lighting is a costly and inefficient lighting option, and often consuming between 10 to15 per cent of annual income, forcing the poorest families to divert essential funds away from other critical needs such as children’s education, family health care and nutrition.
Fuel-based lighting also induces significant environmental and social costs, contributing to increases in greenhouse gas emissions and indoor air pollution, impairing human health, jeopardizing safety, and limiting overall productivity.
(more…)