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Bioenergy Umbrella Association of Kyangwali (BUAK)
- Year Founded: 2025
- Location: Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, Kikuube District, Western Uganda
- Energy Solutions and Services: Sustainable bio-energy solutions
- Thematic Areas of Focus: Renewable energy, livelihoods, environmental sustainability, food security, waste management, plastic recycling
- Number of Employees: 6
- Social Media: LinkedIn
- Contact: buakassociation@gmail.com
Bioenergy Umbrella Association of Kyangwali's Impact Story
In Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, communities have faced growing challenges due to rapid population growth, widespread dependence on firewood, deforestation, indoor air pollution, high energy poverty, shrinking agricultural land, and other negative health impacts and ecological pressures. Support from NGOs and humanitarian agencies has been reduced, and many people face worsening economic distress. There are limited income-generating opportunities in the settlement, particularly for women and youth.
To address these problems, Bioenergy Umbrellas Association of Kyangwali (BUAK) introduced biodigesters and Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technology accessible through an in-kind loan model. This solution enables households to access sustainable energy solutions without having to make upfront cash payments.
Support from partners, including CARE International, Ashden, the Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and UNHCR have been crucial in helping the association to establish its operations. Other livelihood, energy and environmental sector partners, as well as other refugee-led energy organizations, have also offered support, advice, and helpful models for development.
While BUAK is a young organization, its interventions have already had a significant impact for its customers. Clients have reduced firewood use by 70%, saving over 500,975 kg of firewood, equivalent to 156 trees. Women have redirected over 219 hours annually to income-generating activities, while clean biogas kitchens have achieved an 80% reduction in smoke. Household incomes have increased by approximately 30% through improved crop productivity and poultry farming. Additionally, BSF programs have promoted circular waste systems, with 144 kg of waste processed for reuse per household. These efforts have created over 30 jobs, including youth employment in BSF kit fabrication, biogas construction, and transportation services, contributing to both economic empowerment and environmental protection.
Success Factors
BUAK’s success is rooted in its locally entrenched, member-owned structure, ensuring deep community trust, relevance and sustainability. As a women-led initiative, BUAK reflects the lived realities and priorities of both refugee and host communities. One of its most impactful innovations is the in-kind loan model, which addresses affordability barriers by allowing members to access biodigesters and BSF products through flexible, non-cash contributions. This approach not only makes sustainable energy accessible to low-income households but also fosters community ownership and repayment discipline. The organization has successfully transitioned from a humanitarian aid-supported pilot to an investable social enterprise, demonstrating how grassroots innovations can scale to create jobs, protect the environment, and improve health outcomes across vulnerable communities.
Future Plans and Support Needs
BUAK aims to scale up its operations by increasing biodigester installations from 73 to 300 over the next five years and reaching 500 household and group customers with BSF technology within the same period. The organization plans to expand into other refugee settlements across Uganda, strengthening its reach and impact. Key strategic goals include becoming a certified biogas enterprise under BSUL and SNV, establishing a dedicated office, a client training center, and training masons to enhance service delivery. As the workload increases, BUAK plans to employ and compensate additional project staff, creating more jobs for both refugees and host community members. The organization seeks strategic partnerships, funding and technical support to enable sustainable scale-up, with the ultimate vision of becoming the leading refugee-led biogas enterprise in Africa. BUAK demonstrates how grassroots innovation can drive environmental sustainability, energy access and economic empowerment.
About the Founders
The founders of BUAK are households from the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement and neighboring host communities in Kikuube District, Western Uganda. Many are refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, while others are long-term host community members. Having lived in the area for several years, some for over a decade, the founders have firsthand experience of the social, economic and environmental challenges facing their communities. Motivated by these experiences, they established BUAK to provide sustainable bio-energy solutions, improve livelihoods, protect the environment and foster economic empowerment.
