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Difference between revisions of "Live In Green"
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=== '''About the Founder''' === | === '''About the Founder''' === | ||
| − | Solomon Bhaghabhonerano is a Congolese refugee living in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in Western Uganda. Over two decades ago, he fled the Democratic Republic of Congo due to violent conflict and insecurity in his home region | + | Solomon Bhaghabhonerano is a Congolese refugee living in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in Western Uganda. Over two decades ago, he fled the Democratic Republic of Congo due to violent conflict and insecurity in his home region of North Kivu. Since arriving in Uganda, Solomon has have lived in Kyaka II settlement. Despite facing so much hardship, he has sought to dedicate his life to transforming adversity into opportunity by creating solutions that improve the lives of fellow refugees and members of host community around the settlement. |
Revision as of 10:44, 16 July 2025
- Year Founded: 2016
- Location: Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, Kyegegwa District, Western Uganda
- Energy Solutions and Services: Improved cookstoves and briquettes, solar induction cookers, solar-powered refrigeration, plastic recycling and composting
- Thematic Areas of Focus: Clean energy, waste recycling and composting, agroecology, environmental restoration, agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture
- Number of Employees: 15
- Website: https://www.liveingreen.org/
- Contact: solomon@liveingreen.org ; info@liveingreen.org
Live in Green's Impact Story
After arriving in Kyaka II Settlement, Solomon Bhaghabhonerano was struck by the widespread deforestation, energy poverty, and youth unemployment that plagued the settlement. Families relied heavily on firewood and charcoal for cooking. Extensive firewood harvesting has contributed to the degradation of the environment around the camp, while cooking over an open fire poses serious health risks for family members. Poor management of plastic and organic has been another challenge in the Kyaka II community.
In 2016, Solomon founded Live In Green, a refugee-led organisation that uses a holistic, circular economy approach to improve environmental stability and increase access to clean cooking in the community. Employees collect plastic and organic waste generated the camp. The plastic waste is used to produce reusable projects, while the organic waste serves as feedstock for clean cooking briquettes. Live in Green also manufactures and distributes improved cookstoves and solar induction cookers.
Today, the organisation operates Uganda’s largest Energy Resource and Waste Recovery Centre located in a refugee settlement, with capacity to provide five tons of briquettes per day and over 6,000 stoves annually. With initial support from UNHCR in 2017, Live in Green also established a tree nursery to support reforestation of the area surrounding Kyaka II.
The organisation’s many initiatives have significantly reduced reliance on firewood and charcoal within Kyaka II. Its innovative approaches to waste management in the camp has created new income-generating opportunities for refugees while also contributing to a cleaner community environment. Live in Green has trained over 1,000 refugees and host community members in briquette production, distributed stoves to hundreds of families, and planted over 1 million trees. Additionally, they have created dozens of green jobs, including for youth and women.
Over time, Live in Green has grown thanks to funding, technical assistance and research support from partnerships with ACTED, World Resources Institute, Ashden, Cohere, and the University of British Columbia. These collaborations have enabled Live in Green to not only expand its impact within Kyaka II but also to amplify its work outside the refugee settlement.
Success factors
Live in Green’s success has come first and foremost from the deep sense of trust it has built with the local community through years of close engagement and collaborative problem-solving. Strategic partnerships, timely seed funding, and a strong, committed team of both refugees and Ugandans have been critical. The organisation’s holistic approach integrating livelihoods, clean energy, and environmental restoration into one business model has made Live in Green a unique and replicable success.
Future plans and support needs
Going forward, Live in Green aims to scale up its plastic recycling initiative, expand its customer base for briquette and stoves beyond Kyaka II, and establish a green innovation hub for skills training and product development. To achieve this, the organisation is seeking investment capital for machinery, technical expertise in recycling technologies, and core funding to strengthen its organizational systems and expand the team. Live in Green’s vision is a refugee-led green revolution that’s locally driven and globally impactful.
About the Founder
Solomon Bhaghabhonerano is a Congolese refugee living in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in Western Uganda. Over two decades ago, he fled the Democratic Republic of Congo due to violent conflict and insecurity in his home region of North Kivu. Since arriving in Uganda, Solomon has have lived in Kyaka II settlement. Despite facing so much hardship, he has sought to dedicate his life to transforming adversity into opportunity by creating solutions that improve the lives of fellow refugees and members of host community around the settlement.
