Mid-Term Review Report of Naturvernforbundet’s EmPOWERing Communities (2017-2020)

Background

About 2.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean cooking energy, more than 1 billion people still do not have access to electricity, more than 4 million premature deaths are associated with household air pollution.

Access to modern energy services is essential to promote economic growth, overcome poverty and expand employment opportunities. This has been recognized by the international community through the Sustainable Development Goal 7 of reaching "access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all" within 2030.

Rural communities face the largest challenges regarding energy access. It is also the type of communities where basic energy access is the most realistic solution if we are to reach SDG 7 within 2030.

Naturvernforbundet’s program is facilitating production and distribution of solutions that give basic modern and affordable energy services for households in Mozambique, Togo and Nigeria. This is done by promoting local production of improved cook stoves and making small solar electric systems for light and charging of phones available for sales in the communities. In Mozambique, Naturvernforbundet cooperates with ADEL-Sofala, Kulima and Livaningo. In Togo, the partner organization is Young Volunteers for the Environment (YVE). In Nigeria, it is Environmental Rights Action (ERA).

Purpose/objective

The mid-term review was to assess the extent to which the households actually benefit from the use of such basic modern energy solutions and to recommend ways to improve the program implementation so that it can reach further results. In this context, the following specific objectives were defined: (i) to identify the level of community satisfaction regarding solar lamps and locally produced improved stoves for firewood and (ii) to identify how solar lamps and improved stoves influence the way of life of the communities included in the program.

Methodology

Geographical focus for the review was Mozambique, as it is the country with the biggest share of the funding for the program. The study was conducted from April to September 2018 and involved all implementing partner organizations. For the field visits, the review process involved districts in Mozambique.

The team used semi-structured surveys, observations and interviews involving randomly selected households. Interviews and field visits were conducted based on the list of households that benefited from the improved stoves and solar kits, working in coordination with the implementing partners in Mozambique. Skype calls, exchange of emails and online interviews were done with the implementing partners from Togo and Nigeria.

Key findings

• The households are using the improved stoves and lamps.  
• With the introduction of locally produced improved stoves, there is a reduction of the time for collecting firewood for cooking, giving advantages to people responsible for firewood collection, mainly for women and girls;  
• The use of fixed improved stoves with chimney, apart from contributing to save firewood and money, it helps to reduce respiratory diseases;  
• The use of improved stoves and solar lamps offers users a possibility of carrying out other activities;  
• Households using solar lamps have economic gains because they save money for kerosene;  
• Households using solar lamps have better light compared to households using candles and kerosene lamps;  
• The program contributes to job creation and self-employment;  
• Women are more involved in the use and promotion of energy products.

Recommendations

• There is a need to continue combining stoves and solar kits projects interventions in order to maximize the impact;  
• There is a need to continue the process of dissemination, sensitization of the use of the improved stoves and solar kits;  
• There is a need to expand the project to new areas with clear needs of solar kits and improved stoves;  
• There is a need to create incentives for women entrepreneurs to become mobile money agents in order to facilitate their business and to avoid waiting for a long time before they get payment of the solar kits and improved stoves; 
• There is a need to find incentives for the entrepreneurs and field activists to continue the business;  
• There is a need for identification of strategic partners and places to establish new selling points and/ or expand the project;  
• Project implementers need to capitalize the gains of the project in order to use such gains in future interventions. Gains may be in terms of trained people, existing know how, working resources and established partnership.  
• There is a need to schedule continuous capacity building or refreshing trainings;
• There is a need of a good and comprehensive communication strategy;  
• There is a need to lobby and do advocacy to the high level

Comments from the organisation

We see that the review team supports the program’s approach and describes that good results are achieved, also on the impact level. We agree to the team’s recommendations and will follow-up accordingly. In the next review we will emphasize the quantification of results on the impact level, as far as possible within a limited budget.