Majority of rural electrification projects in Nepal have succeeded in electrification of the rural households but only limited positive impact exists on the improvement of peoples’ livelihood through the productive use of electricity for income generating activities.
Previously, Helvetas in partnership with GIZ and NACEUN have implemented PEU promotion project in 8 communities rural electrification entity in first phase of the programme from 2016-2017. Under this approach EnDev have supported the entity for the capacity building to aware the CREE about the importance of PEU promotion for the sustainability of entity and also building their capacity to prepare business plan. Whereas, Helvetas has supported to develop the business service providers through providing various trainings so that they could provide any kind of support including the market linkage, financial linkage, awareness and access to technology and prepare business plan. Beside Helvetas in cooperation with various other relevant organizations provided skill development trainings to establish business with having access to electricity. NACEUN was implementing the project at the CREE level coordinating the activities supported by EnDev, Helvetas and Commmunity Rural Electrifiaction Entity (CREE) and also provided the business plan preparation workshop and facilitated various other meetings and workshops with the CREE and other line agencies in the district.
Currently, EnDev Nepal’s interventions with CREEs, Micro Hydro Pojects (MHPs) and pico-hydros are primarily focused on the rural population; a clear economic impact when providing energy at the highest tier to rural areas and particularly through the extension and densification of the grid as well as through off grid (MHP & pico-hydro) is well known but this has not adequately translated into increased income/revenue for the households and local utilities. To address this EnDev Nepal specifically supports productive use of electricity through business trainings and focusing on potential women entrepreneurs.
Targets
- Provide energy for productive use/income generation for 6,150 MSMEs
- Out of the total target 10% of the MSMEs to be led by women
- Contribute to poverty alleviation by creating employment, enabling savings on expenditures for fuels and income at the supply side, and by improving the health and livelihoods of households using clean cookstoves.
- The project will increase employment opportunities and strengthen the productivity of services across the stove supply chain through training to last-mile distributors and the establishment of repair centers.
