Empowering Refugee-Led Energy Enterprises for a Sustainable Future: Insights from HEC 2024 

A sense of progress and promise filled the air at the Humanitarian Energy Conference (HEC) 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. Among the sessions that stood out was “Community-Led Energy: Investing in Local and Refugee-Led Energy Enterprises,” which allowed participants from various backgrounds, including humanitarian agencies actors, donor representatives, private sector actors, experts with lived experience of displacement, as well as representatives from the energy sector association in the region to delve deeply into the potential of locally and refugee-led businesses to transform energy access from within the displacement contexts where they live. Representatives from eight refugee-led organizations, including Green at Mind, Friends of Nature, Okapi Green, Farming and Health Education, Solar Freeze, Live in Green, Kakuma Ventures, and Fena Solar, presented their business activities and needs with the wider humanitarian energy stakeholder community, unpacking the barriers these entrepreneurs face and the opportunities to scale their impact.

The interactive session featured round-table discussions that brought together one refugee-led entrepreneur with various HEC participants. This format encouraged dynamic discussions, allowing participants to engage directly with the entrepreneurs and explore diverse perspectives on their companies.  It also revived a moment to remind various energy actors of the essential role that refugee-led energy enterprises play in addressing energy needs and displaced individuals’ social and environmental challenges. The conversation brought the participants to reaffirm that refugee energy businesses bring unique perspectives rooted in lived experiences of displacement, which makes them well-positioned to design solutions tailored to their communities. Their contributions extend beyond simply providing access to clean cooking and lighting; they create jobs, support local economies, and offer associated services such as internet connectivity to bridge the digital divide. Thousands of lives are impacted by the interventions of refugee-led energy initiatives, which demonstrate the potential to drive inclusive and sustainable energy solutions.

Left to right: Harriet Ngoola (Fena Solar Limited), Vincent Ubeling (Green at Mind), Joelle Hangi (GPA-UNITAR), Nyayow Deng Chuoul (Afritise Company Limited).

However, despite their successes, refugee-led energy businesses face significant obstacles that hinder their growth and scalability. The following challenges emerged during the session: 

• Access to Finance: Many refugee entrepreneurs struggle to secure funding due to limited access to formal financial services and a lack of collateral, making it difficult to expand their businesses. 
• Affordability of Products: The cost of clean energy solutions, such as solar-powered cookstoves, remains high for low-income refugees, necessitating innovative financing models to increase affordability. 
• Regulatory Barriers: Refugees often face difficulties obtaining official documentation needed for business registration, complying with local regulations, and accessing government support, all of which create significant operational challenges. 
• Limited Exposure and Partnerships: Refugee-led enterprises are often confined to operating within their communities, limiting their access to broader networks that could provide technical support and partnership opportunities. 

Despite these obstacles, the session illuminated promising growth and collaboration paths, such as collective action on inclusive financing, technical assistance support, policy reform, and collaborative network development. As the session drew close, there was a solid call to action for the humanitarian energy sector and key actors in displacement settings to take action on, as follows. 

1. Invest in Refugee-Led Enterprises: Establish funds and incentives to support financial and technical growth for refugee-owned energy businesses, driving sustainable change. 
2. Advocate for Policy Reforms: Collaborate with governments to simplify business registration and grant temporary legal recognition to enhance refugee business operations. 
3. Promote Inclusive Partnerships and Skills Transfer: Encourage collaborations between refugee-led and established energy enterprises to foster innovation, knowledge transfer, training/upskilling and shared market access. 
4. Create Collaborative Networks: Establish platforms that connect refugee-led businesses with private sector partners and investors to foster partnerships, facilitate knowledge exchange, and enable growth beyond localities. 

Marcelin Munga (Farming and  Health Education) at the roundtable discussion on Community-Led Energy: Investing in Locally and Refugee-led Energy Businesses

In essence, the Humanitarian Energy Conference (HEC) 2024 highlighted that the future of energy in displacement settings goes beyond technology—it is about empowering people. Refugee-led energy enterprises have the potential to be key players in the global effort to achieve sustainable energy for all, driving progress toward more inclusive and resilient communities. By investing in these businesses, advocating for policy reforms, and fostering partnerships, stakeholders can help light the path to a more sustainable future. The message from HEC 2024 was clear: refugee entrepreneurs are not just part of the solution— they are leading the way. Connect and learn more from them.  

Organisation	Location	Email
Green at Mind	Kalobeyei,Kenya	vincentubeling@gmail.com
Friends of Nature	Kakuma, Kenya	bajirenge8blaise@gmail.com
Okapi Green	Kakuma, Kenya	vascoamisi@gmail.com
Farming and Health Education	Kakuma, Kenya	marcelinmunga19@gmail.com
Solar Freeze	Kakuma, Kenya	zigashanepascal@gmail.com
Live in Green	Kyaka II settlement, Uganda	solomon@liveingreen.org
Kakuma Ventures	Kakuma, Kenya	info@kakumaventures.com
Fena Solar	Kampala, Uganda	HNongoola@fenasolarltd.org

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Through the Transforming Humanitarian Energy Access (THEA) Programme, the GPA, in partnership with Ashden and Mercy Corps under the TEA platform, looks forward to supporting refugee energy-led businesses. Are you interested in joining this initiative? Please reach us at energy@unitar.org. 

Do you want to learn more about how to support the refugee energy initiatives, please follow this link briefing.