UNCDF Uganda aims to capitalize on new business opportunities and innovations in order to enable clean energy businesses to thrive and meet the needs of the country’s decentralized energy market.
Through the Renewable Energy Challenge Fund (RECF), UNCDF’s global CleanStart Programme has provided funding and technical assistance to 22 clean energy companies in Uganda. These companies promote technologies such as efficient cookstoves, briquettes as cooking fuel, and solar home systems, lamps, microgrids, and pumps.

In this project, HEDERA is providing its digital tools — HEDERA Impact Toolkit and HEDERA connect — to 10 RECF companies and UNCDF in Uganda. With these tools, companies can digitally collect, analyze, and report their data, without the need for external experts or significant training. The tools will help the companies digitize their processes and improve their operational efficiency. The intervention will also enable both the companies and UNCDF to track their progress in improving their target market’s energy access and measure their impact in terms of defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The tools are being adapted based on the companies’ processes and UNCDF’s KPIs for the CleanStart Programme.

CARE International has been working in Peru since 1952. Among other programs, CARE provides livelihood support through finance and technical assistance for small ventures. The primary objective of CARE Peru’s Ignite Initiative is to help Peru's micro and small businesses, and, in particular, women microentrepreneurs - called Striver entrepreneurs -, develop through a package combining financial products, training, and non-financial support tailored to the entrepreneurs’ needs. The initiative aims to contribute to the creation of employment and increase the collective and individual well-being of Strivers in Peru.

Under the Ignite Initiative, CARE Peru conducted a two-month exploratory study on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on micro and small businesses, consisting of a telephone survey with the HEDERA collect mobile app with a sample of entrepreneurs, clients of a Microfinance Institution in Peru.
Students from Universidad del Pacífico surveyed over 120 microentrepreneurs. Remote training to the students was provided, with the support and coordination from CARE Peru. The survey progress and results were tracked on the HEDERA digital dashboard and a final report of the detailed data analysis.

The methodology of the study was of an exploratory-descriptive type. The collection of information was carried out through a semi-structured telephone survey, which included both closed and open questions, both quantitative and qualitative. Basic information was collected from microentrepreneurs who had participated or who had participated in projects executed by CARE Peru, initially in Tumbes, Piura, La Libertad and Junín.

The objective of this project was to analyze access to energy (electricity and modern cooking solutions) in rural areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The study was implemented by APIDE, a local NGO working in the regions of Kitutu, Kaituga, and Mwenga, in the eastern part of the country, about 150 km from the border with Burundi and Rwanda.
Data collection, processing, and visualization were carried out using the HEDERA Impact Toolkit.

Relevant information concerning the use, associated costs, and various attributes of access to electricity and cooking solutions was collected from households APIDE is working with in remote rural areas using the HEDERA collect mobile app. HEDERA provided digital material for remote training on the app. APIDE field staff were trained during a one-day workshop (held by a member of APIDE). Over a period of 10 days, more than 220 households were surveyed (the surveys covered household rosters, electricity assessment, and cooking solution assessment).

Aiming to support Solar Today in improving its field operations and impact assessment processes in Uganda, HEDERA partnered with UNCDF to provide Solar Today access to HEDERA’s tools. After analyzing Solar Today’s processes, it was decided that the tools would be customized in order to facilitate the digitization of Solar Today’s client assessment, contract closure, and post-installation report. HEDERA provided three different mobile surveys and tailored its software to automatically generate customer files, which were made available to Solar Today staff.

A thorough analysis of the types of data collected by Solar Today was carried out, in order to identify areas where HEDERA’s data collection and analysis tools could be helpful. Solar Today provided examples of forms used in the field. All forms were reviewed and digitized, providing mobile surveys and PDF-templates to be automatically filled in. The HEDERA collect app was installed by Solar Today field staff, with coordination and support from the head office and HEDERA. Solar Today staff received access to the processed data (PDF version of contracts, assessment forms, and installation reports). The company plans to further implement the digitization of its processes using the HEDERA Impact Toolkit.

The purpose of this pilot study was to collect a large amount of household data within a few weeks and analyze the household energy (electricity and modern cooking solutions) access of a sample of clients of the Mexican MFI Te Creemos.
Data collection, analysis, and visualization were carried out using the HEDERA Impact Toolkit.
Household data on the use, associated costs, and various attributes of access to electricity and cooking solutions was collected from Te Creemos clients in remote, rural areas using the HEDERA collect mobile app.
The HEDERA staff trained the head of Te Creemos’s IT department on how to install the mobile app, and the IT department remotely assisted 100 loan officers in 82 different offices in installing the app and trained them on how to use it.
In one week, the loan officers surveyed over 500 households (the surveys covered household rosters, electricity assessment, and cooking solution assessment).

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Microbanco Confiança is a microfinance institution, established in 2017, providing small loans to smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs in the rural areas of Maputo Province in southern Mozambique.
The aim of this pilot study was to assess the level of energy access of a sample of Microbanco Confiança clients and test the applicability of the HEDERA Impact Toolkit (including the HEDERA collect mobile app and the software for data analysis and evaluation) in the target peri-urban region, as well as digitize the client assessment form, to be used by loan officers. The data collection was carried out by two loan officers, in the offices of Boane and Magude.

HEDERA conducted a training-of-trainers (ToT) session, providing capacity building and tools to the financial institution's Operations Director, so that this person could train the field staff. The agencies selected were mostly based in peri-urban areas, where power outages affect most of the population.
The pilot served as a medium to assess the viability of developing a green financial product (and future negotiation with energy suppliers) for the institution's clients.

As a pioneer microfinance institution in Peru offering green credits within the framework of its Renewable Energy Solutions Program (SER – Soluciones de Energía Renovable), Cooperativa Fondesurco focuses on providing the underserved rural population better access to clean energy and energy efficient technologies.
The aim of this pilot study was to assess the level of household energy (electricity and modern cooking solutions) access of a sample of clients of the Peruvian financial institution Fondesurco, in order to obtain insights and relevant information concerning energy needs, usage, and expenses. Data collection, analysis, and visualization were carried out using the HEDERA Impact Toolkit.

Installation of and training on the HEDERA collect mobile app were done remotely. Surveys (household rosters, electricity assessment, and cooking solution assessment) were conducted remotely with 137 rural clients via telephone from Fondesurco’s head office. After the survey data was collected over the phone, loan officers collected the GPS coordinates of the surveyed households in the field, and GPS data were merged with other survey data.
The study provided valuable insights into the quality of electricity that Fondesurco clients were able to access and supported the decision-making in the SER program.

Project: Master’s thesis by Hillary Kipcoech Korir - PAUWES
This study’s aim was to evaluate energy access and the impact of biogas harnessing for home cooking on Mau forest conservation and communities living near the forest.
The study was conducted in southwestern Mau, where data collection was done in the regions of Chebangang, Nyangores, Londiani, and Olenguruone. Data collection and analysis were carried out using the HEDERA Impact Toolkit.

The results obtained represent the entire Mau Complex. Electricity sources and cooking fuels were evaluated using the Multi-Tier Framework methodology.
Analyzing energy demand in the region based on Business-As-Usual scenario (BAU), cooking energy demand will triple by the year 2040, and fuelwood will remain the primary cooking fuel, thus putting pressure on forest resources.
It was concluded that adoption of biogas technology in the region would promote livestock intensification and halve household fuelwood consumption. It was recommended that priority be given to awareness campaigns on modern cookstoves and biogas technology in the region.

Browse the digital report of the results