Summary:
- d.light is supplying 10,000 solar home systems to refugees in Ugandan camps, funded by a $3.4 million grant. These systems, part of a larger initiative, aim to improve living conditions and economic activity in refugee settlements.
d.light, a provider of innovative household solutions, is extending support to refugees who have fled conflicts in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo and are now residing in camps in Uganda. They are supplying 10,000 subsidized solar home systems to these communities.
Each solar home system comprises three high-efficiency LED lights, an FM radio with MP3 playback, mobile phone charging capabilities, and a portable solar torch.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to deliver 23,000 solar home systems to refugee communities in Uganda. The project, launched in April and slated to continue for 12 months, is funded by a $3.4 million grant from the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and Energising Development (EnDev), an international program supported by the governments of Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland. PSFU comprises business associations, companies, and public sector agencies in Uganda.
d.light’s mission is to make life-enhancing products accessible and affordable to low-income families lacking reliable power and financing. They have already sold over 25 million products, including solar lanterns, solar home systems, TVs, radios, and smartphones, benefiting more than 172 million people. Their goal is to positively impact the lives of 1 billion people with sustainable products by 2030.
Douglas Gavala, d.light’s Managing Director for Uganda, expressed gratitude for the grant, highlighting the potential to enhance living conditions for underserved refugee communities. He emphasized the significant improvements a solar home system brings to household quality of life, from providing entertainment and access to news to enabling children to study after dark.
Beyond household benefits, d.light products contribute to household incomes in Uganda’s refugee settlements by extending working hours for tradespeople and small businesses and creating employment opportunities for residents who serve as d.light salespeople. Gavala emphasized that by offering high-quality solar products at affordable prices, d.light is not only enhancing the lives of displaced individuals but also fostering grassroots economic activity.
