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Renewable Energy Technologies Ensuring Good Health, Improved Family Incomes

Ayesiga’s family life has changed since she acquired a four lights solar home system and improved cook stoves.

Hellen Ayesiga’s household, a mother of three is among the 64 households that have benefited from the use of Renewable Energy Technologies promoted by Brilliant Youth Organization (BYO), a partner of WWF
The family appreciates the transition from use of the kerosene lamps for light and three stone cook stoves to solar home systems and improved cook stoves respectively.
 
Ayesiga’s family life has changed since she acquired a four lights solar home system and improved cook stoves.
 
How she purchased the Technologies?
During the interview, Ayesiga stated that she first heard about the technologies through  an advert ran by a local station-Radio Kitala FM which referred her to the local CSO for details.

 At the CSO offices, She purchased the two technologies and paid for it in three installments.
“The flexible payment system came in handy, otherwise, I would never have afforded it”, she adds.
 
 New life with the technologies 
Ayesiga explains that before acquiring the technologies, she  roughly spent UGX 4,000 to buy paraffin every week making it UGX 16,000 a month and UGX 192000 every year. This was expensive  because of the other competition family needs and priorities. On several occasions, they went without paraffin and this meant total darkness in the household. This is now history.

 The family enjoys the bright light from the solar. This has boosted the family bond.
“We no longer go to bed at 7pm. We sit as a family, tell stories to our children and even guide them in their school work”. Ayesiga adds that the solar lighting has ensured longer reading hours for their children and this has improved their performance in school.

 The family is also offering phone charging services to the neighbors who have not yet acquired the solar systems. This is bringing in additional resources for the family.

The family is also celebrating the improved health of their son, Mathias. The young man had been struggling with eye complications. The doctor advised him to desist from reading using the kerosene lamp because the light was very dim. 

He was also advised to  stop visiting the kitchen as the soot and smoke from the lamp and the three stone cook stoves would escalate the situation. With the adoption of the new renewable technologies, the light is now brighter and the soot is no more. Mathias’ eye health is steadily improving.
© Happy Ali
One of the Improved Cook Stoves in use distributed by WWF under the Clean Energy