Rinchi
TechInAfrica – The Founder of Waste Energy Youth Enterprise Clean Energy Company Ltd, Brian Kakembo Galabuzi uses agricultural materials and organic waste to make carbonized fuel briquettes. In fact, in Africa, more than 640 million people are underserved to electricity and depends so much on dirty sources of energy for cooking, lighting, and heating.
As it is safe to use agricultural waste materials and organic waste, several entrepreneurs use them to create a business that promotes a green economy. Those entrepreneurs were included in the winners of the 2018 Greenpreneurs Program, a program created and designed by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to support green growth startups.
The program helps young entrepreneurs to take their business ideas into real actions where the solutions are impactful to several major sectors, including energy sustainability; water and sanitation; landscapes sustainability (forestry and agriculture); and green city development.
The CEO of Waste Energy Youth Enterprise Clean Energy Company Ltd, Brian Kakembo Galabuzi, commented on the selection of his company along with the 10 other finalists. “It was very amazing to be selected among the 10 finalists out of over 345 applicants from around the world,” he said.
His company, Waste Energy Youth Enterprise Clean Energy Company Ltd, uses agricultural waste materials and organic waste to make carbonized fuel briquettes. With 80% of solid organic waste in Uganda, the company is able to run an eco-friendly business, producing cheaper and cleaner cooking charcoal briquettes.
Galabuzi said that GGGI helps him to address grassroots challenges he experienced while running his company. The greatest challenges he faced was lack of finance and experience which caused trial and errors.
“In the beginning, our targets were not that high so it was easy to achieve them, but through the ‘Greenprenuers’ programme we have learned to set bold targets and stand by them until we can achieve them,” he said. He continued, “It offers the right skills and knowledge through its 10-week web-based programme, and which is accompanied by an opportunity to win seed funding at the end of the programme.”
Moreover, Galabuzi also said that the program helped him in his business, especially managing his business better, “GGGI has also provided the seed funding through the ‘Greenprenuers’ programme, which has availed us finances to test out our business plan in a field seen as high risk by financing institutions in Uganda.
Through the program, the startups did not only receive a funding but also free consultations and mentoring by global successful experts.
