Dec 24 2021
When running focus groups in Uganda, our partners noticed significant discrepancies in the answers that the community members were giving during the focus groups in comparison to the responses they’d given when baseline surveys had been conducted by the Ugandan team over the past few weeks. They challenged the community to explain why they were …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/trusting-time-estimates-from-focus-groups/
Dec 16 2021
Every organisation has faced their difficulties continuing through COVID, with hospitality sector hit hardest. While some businesses have thrived (those offering digital services, or able to move all their work online) others have been unable to make the transition smoothly. Here at SVRG we are lucky to be able to work remotely while not travelling, …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/challenges-of-working-through-covid/
Nov 27 2021
I’m proud to report that we have set up the first Weather Net WiFi connected weather station in the whole of Uganda, allowing us to monitor the solar irradiation at our Matugga solar site and compare it to the output power of the panels. This will help us with spotting problems and evaluating the effectiveness …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/weather-reporting-from-uganda/
Nov 26 2021
Today we finished installing the main electronics for one of our Farmers Enterprise Centres in Uganda. It was a mammoth 3 days of wiring, programming batteries/inverters and fixing electronics to walls, but we did it! And it wouldn’t have been possible without our fantastic local partners, Eco-Life and Kiima Foods. Throughout the 3 days, we …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/fec-installation-team-work-and-skills-sharing/
Nov 20 2021
Even though it looks like the main national grid might soon reach some of the villages we’ve been working with, both in Tanzania and Uganda, it is surprising how many of them are still keen for us to continue installing solar power despite the fact that this will be significantly more expensive for them. Having …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/unreliable-grid-power/
Jun 13 2021
On one of our recent community visits to run focus groups in Central Uganda, we were surprised by some of the signs plastered around the primary school building, where the focus groups were held. The first signs outside the building were innocent, with messages like “DO NOT LITTER”, “ALWAYS BRUSH YOUR TEETH”, “WASH YOUR HANDS …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/primary-school-messaging-on-early-pregnancy/
May 12 2021
On the difficulties of transporting solar equipment to remote places Working at Smart Villages, we are very fortunate to work in some incredible locations. One of the most stunning is Kasese district in western Uganda. Located exactly along the equator, dominated by two national parks, and nestling in amongst the breath-taking Rwenzori mountains, the district …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/who-ate-all-the-donkeys/
Apr 03 2021
The Service Value Test (SVT for short) is a key tool in the Smart Villages approach that we like to use as early as possible in our conversations with communities we are looking to work with. We find it really helpful for the following reasons: It gets us quantitative preference data from community members telling …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/the-service-value-test-what-and-why/
Nov 24 2020
Something we realised during our most recent trip to Uganda, is the importance of timing visits according to the seasons and political rallies. This personal recount is adapted from notes written during the trip: 19/11/2021 Just as we arrived in Kampala, we found out there’d been protests following the arrest of Bobi Wine, a presidential …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/a-personal-recount-of-challenging-travel-through-heavy-rains-and-political-campaigns/
Apr 01 2020
Project Overview SVRG is carrying this project out jointly with our partners in Uganda, social enterprise EcoLife Foods, and community NGO Kiima Foods. This project is funded by InnovateUK, the UK’s Innovation Agency under the Energy Catalyst Round 7 programme. The Issue Access to electricity is very low in Uganda, with rural areas having electrification …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/minigrids-and-integrated-anchor-loads-in-rural-uganda/