“Unleashing Entrepreneurship in the Renewable Energy Sector” A paper Presented by Daniel Semakula, Country Coordinator YES – Uganda At the 3 rd Global Youth Employment Summit held 13 th – 16 th Nairobi Kenya

CONTENT  Introduction to YES – Uganda  Country Level Activities  Employment Creation Initiatives

About YES - Uganda YES is a network of organization particularly youth organization, NGOs, individual youth working together to develop programs and Projects that promote employment creationYES is a network of organization particularly youth organization, NGOs, individual youth working together to develop programs and Projects that promote employment creation Membership of the network has grown, we have both paid up members, active members, and recruitment of new members is an ongoing process.Membership of the network has grown, we have both paid up members, active members, and recruitment of new members is an ongoing process. Country level activities include; organizing consultative workshop, awareness meeting, capacity building, policy advocacy, and working with partners on employment creation project.Country level activities include; organizing consultative workshop, awareness meeting, capacity building, policy advocacy, and working with partners on employment creation project.

Exploring Employment Opportunities in the RE Sector  The Initiative – Exploring…..  Target Group  Inter – Linkage with YES Framework  The Context and Problem  What does the project try to address?  What is going to happen?  How employment can be established?  How was the project development?  Any impacts so far?  Lesson learnt?  Potential for replication

Context and Problem Context and Problem  High energy potential e.g. biomass, geothermal, wind and solar energy sources.  Low power access in off grid areas  High level consumption of firewood and charcoal (90%)  Low employment levels among youth

What does the project try to address?  Seeks to address unemployment challenges among youth  Seek to provide power in areas where main grid do not reach.

What is going to happen? Establish (4) biomass centers to generate power, establish energy farms to provide or generate raw materials for power generation and for firewood and charcoal, to enhance development of appropriate household energy saving technology and establish waste treatment centre still to generate power

How can employment be established in this sector? 1.Energy Plantation

How can employment be established in this sector?  2. Biomass plants

How can employment be established in this sector?  Manufacturing energy saving stoves

Impact  Institutional development  National Level Awareness  Capacity building  New Initiatives  Integration

Lesson/ Observation Lesson/ Observation  RE sector can absorb a very big percentage of unemployed youth  Investment in the sector are 100% risk free  Raw materials for RE are cheap and surrounding us  Governments must come up with a framework that enforce the use and application of RE in household and academic institution

Potential for replication  85% of Uganda’s populations are engaged in agriculture – enough raw materials  90% of the 26 million people, use charcoal and firewood to cook and light, the potential to improve to energy saving technology is enormous  Uganda is endowed with plenty of sunshine, wind