The Solar Cooking Program empowers women in Uganda with skills in solar cooking, baking, and business to create sustainable careers. Partnering with the Rape Hurts Foundation, it also supports survivors of gender-based violence, thereby promoting clean energy and hope for the future.
Supporting Survivors Through Solar Cooking Program
The Solar Cooking Program is empowering women in Uganda to become culinary entrepreneurs. Led by the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), this initiative equips participants with skills in solar cooking, baking, marketing, and accounting. The program aims to create career opportunities and promote clean cooking in the region.
The year-long pilot phase recently concluded in the Busoga sub-region. It has already enabled hundreds of women to earn income, while also advancing the use of clean cooking technologies.
SELF partnered with the Rape Hurts Foundation (RHF) for the pilot phase. RHF is a Uganda-based organisation that provides support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. In Uganda, 22% of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced sexual violence, according to the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey.
The program was designed to provide career pathways for survivors as they rebuild their lives. Hellen Tanyinga, RHF's founder, emphasised its impact. "Despite what they've been through, these women look toward the future with hope and ambition," she said. "This program allows them to grow their skills and be at the forefront of this greater shift toward clean energy and clean cooking."
Addressing Global Challenges Through Solar Cooking
Globally, 2.1 billion people rely on polluting fuels like wood and charcoal for cooking. These fuels are linked to 2 million premature deaths annually, according to the United Nations. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly affected, with widespread reliance on these harmful energy sources.
The Solar Cooking Program introduces a sustainable alternative. By focusing on solar cooking, it reduces reliance on polluting fuels, improving both health outcomes and environmental sustainability. The pilot phase included the launch of two solar-powered bakeries, called Sanyu Bakeries, in Jinja and Kamuli. The bakeries are equipped with Lytefire solar cooking units, which can bake, roast, dehydrate, and cook a variety of foods at scale.
These bakeries serve as training centres where participants learn solar cooking techniques and essential business skills. Graduates can work at the bakeries or use the solar units to start their own cooking or catering businesses.
One participant, 25-year-old Ritah Akite, shared her experience. "Before coming here to join the solar cooking program, I didn’t have a job," she said. "But when I joined, I learned skills in baking bread, cookies, cakes, and buns. These skills enabled me to be self-reliant."
Empowering Communities Through Training
To date, the program has trained 1,738 people. It has raised awareness of the benefits of clean cooking and increased demand for solar alternatives in the region. In areas of Uganda that remain largely unelectrified, solar cooking offers a practical solution. Standalone solar appliances provide a sustainable way to produce food, reducing environmental harm and improving livelihoods.
Bob Freling, SELF's executive director, highlighted the program’s broader goals. "Clean cooking technology is a win-win for the planet and for human health," he said. "It can also be a source of opportunity and a tool for lifting people up. That’s our goal here."
The Solar Cooking Program demonstrates how clean energy solutions can address global challenges while empowering individuals. By focusing on solar cooking, the program creates career opportunities, promotes sustainability, and improves health outcomes.
The success of the Solar Cooking Program in Uganda offers a blueprint for other regions. With its emphasis on training, entrepreneurship, and clean energy, it shows how solar cooking can transform lives and communities. As local demand for clean alternatives grows, the program stands as a model for sustainable development. Solar cooking is not just a tool for clean energy, it is a pathway to a brighter and healthier future.