The Problem and Motivation Behind
Kita Betty (23-year-old) and her team live in Maaji III Refugee Settlement in Adjumani, Uganda, where they witnessed first-hand the pressing issue of deforestation in the settlement. “Our community was suffering. People kept cutting down trees for firewood, causing deforestation. When it rained, the soil would wash away, and crops were destroyed. It was a struggle just to get enough firewood to cook with,” says Kita. The lack of firewood in the settlement has also been a struggle, as refugees face restrictions on gathering wood in host communities.
With restrictions on tree cutting from the host community, the problem was becoming worse. At the same time, many youths in their refugee settlement faced unemployment, leaving them with little to do and no opportunities to support their community. “It’s really very hard to get firewood for cooking … I saw how my mother and other women struggled. It was tiring, and they risked being attacked or getting caught in the rain,” Kita explains.
The Innovative Solution
“We wanted to create something that would not only help our families but also protect our trees,” Kita.
When Kita and her team joined the Youth Innovation Lab (YIL) under the EU-funded Project RED, they decided to address the problem of forest destruction and finding alternative sources of energy while creating economic opportunities for young people in their community. Through a design thinking process, they gathered information and generated ideas for developing locally made briquette from the briquette (compressed block of biomass used for fuelling a fire).
They collect agricultural wastes, like maize cobs, dry and carbonise them, then grind and mix it with binders like cassava flour[1] or clay. Kita and her team tested the resulting Briquettes and found them burn longer and produce less smoke compared with the raw firewood. This not only reduces deforestation but also provides an affordable alternative energy for cooking. Betty and her team started to produce and sell their locally made briquettes to customers in their settlement. “Our briquettes are not only better for the environment but also help the community save money on firewood,” Kita proudly shares. They have introduced two types of briquettes:
- Household Briquettes – For cooking at home, offering a more consistent and longer burn.
- Commercial Briquettes – Suitable for larger-scale use, like poultry farmers and small businesses.
When the demand for their briquettes has grown beyond the settlement, reaching customers in and Adjumani, Arua and Yumbe districts, they started to train other youth in briquette making as source of income and a way to contribute positively to their environmental suitability. “People now realise that they don’t have to cut trees to get fuel. It’s helping our environment recover,” says Betty.
Producing these locally made briquettes has not only reduced dependence on firewood but also creates valuable job opportunities for young people in Maaji III Refugee Settlement. They generated income from selling their briquettes that enabled them to pay their education fees. Others invested their earnings in starting personal businesses. “This project changed my life. I was able to pay my school fees and support my single mother and siblings.” Betty explains the impact of this project on her life. Additionally, with more affordable cooking fuel, women no longer spend hours searching for firewood, allowing them to focus on family and other productive activities. “It has given us (women) more time to focus on other work and care for our children,” Betty adds.
Lessons Learned and Addressing Challenges
With support from Youth Innovation Lab (YIL), Kita and her team received a seed grant to purchase briquette-making machines, which significantly boosted production. They were also trained in financial literacy, learning how to manage their earnings effectively. “Before, when we got money, we didn’t know how to budget. Now, we plan before we spend,” Betty explains. They also got linked with mentors who guided them on how to market their briquettes and expand their customer base Additionally, Youth Innovation Lab (YIL) facilitated networking and exposure visits. “We were taken to Kampala for visiting other innovations, where we learned about different types of briquettes, like honeycombs, and how to improve our production,” Betty shares.
Reflecting on their experience, Kita and her team identified three lessons learned:
- Investing in equipment to increase efficiency: Initially, the briquette production was slow and labour-intensive, as the team had to mix and shape the briquettes by hand. This limited their production capacity. By utilising the seed grant from the Youth Innovation Lab (YIL) to purchase machinery, they significantly increased their output. Investing in appropriate equipment is essential for scaling up production and improving efficiency.
- Demonstrating the value of your product to overcome market resistance: At first, the community was sceptical about using briquettes as an alternative to firewood. To address this, the team organised demonstration events to showcase the product’s benefits, such as longer burn time. Once people saw the advantages firsthand, their perception changed, and demand grew. Demonstrating the value of a new product actively engages the community and helps build trust, encouraging adoption.
- Saving and planning ahead to overcome logistical challenges: Transporting briquettes to distant districts was costly and time-consuming. To address this, the team developed a saving plan to purchase a tricycle, which would make delivery more manageable and cost-effective. Saving and planning ahead for essential resources like transport vehicles can significantly improve distribution and expand market reach.
Next steps and future aspirations
The group has ambitious plans to scale up their business. Their next steps include:
- Expanding Production – They aim to acquire a new machine to produce honeycomb briquettes, which are more efficient and suitable for large consumers like schools and hotels.
- Strengthening Market Reach – They plan to partner with institutions such as boarding schools and hotels to secure long-term contracts.
- Improving Logistics – They hope to purchase a tricycle to ease transportation challenges.
- Diversifying Income Streams – The group has started making paper bags for packaging, adding another source of revenue.
[1] Cassava flour made from Cassava roots – starchy roots vegetable that is widely consumed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.