Description of the project: Lojas de Energias is an initiative adapted by Gilda Monjane, in 2011, as a way to fill a gap in infrastructure for rural off-grid areas. The initiative promotes female entrepreneurship in order to reinforce women’s economic empowerment at the same time that it is aiming to supply clean and renewable forms of energy for rural villagers living in off-grid areas. At the energy shops one can buy improved cook stoves and photovoltaic systems. One can also re-charge lamps and mobile phones and buy low energy-use light bulbs. Some shops also sell gas for cooking.

Climate Impact: Energy shops sell environmental friendly material like improved stoves, low energy-consumption bulbs, PV systems powered by the sun, and rechargeable bulbs. Additionally, the women managing different shops are trained to be able to explain the advantages of the different products they sell and share environmental messages about the effects of climate change. We believe this will have positive implications for the community.

Gender Impact: The initiative contributes to increasing the numbers of women employed in wage employment. The shops intend to fill a gap by creating a new infrastructure, especially for the rural areas, which contributes to economic empowerment of rural women. The enterprises help to create jobs for people in the rural areas, for women in particular, and for girls that finish school in the rural areas and have no options to continue with their education in their home villages. People stop using kerosene and firewood to light and warm their houses and start using PV energy which is cleaner and healthier and, allows them to save money.