Energy poverty and water poverty are closely linked. Communities that lack electricity also lack the power to pump, purify, and distribute drinking water. Families trek long distances to collect water on foot. Waterborne disease is a constant risk.

In the village of Bukyerimba, Uganda, that reality is beginning to change.

The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) has completed the installation of a solar-powered water system that is already improving daily life for hundreds of community members. The project features a 2.8-kilowatt solar array, three water distribution points, and solar-powered streetlights positioned near the taps to improve safety during early morning and evening hours.

The system allows families to collect clean drinking water directly within their community—transforming local health and returning valuable time to the people.

A Longstanding Commitment to Community Transformation

The Bukyerimba installation builds on a longstanding collaboration between SELF and the Rape Hurts Foundation (RHF), a Ugandan organization dedicated to protecting and empowering women and girls.

“For us, clean energy is not only about electricity or water—it is about dignity, safety, and freedom from violence,” said Hellen Waiswa Lunkuse Tanyinga, founder and executive director of RHF.

In 2019, SELF and RHF installed the first solar-powered water system in the region. This project has served thousands of people, and has demonstrated that clean energy can improve local health and opportunity. The impacts have been greatest among women and girls who previously spent hours each day collecting water for their families, often at great personal risk. SELF and RHF have also introduced solar lighting, solar cooking, and solar-powered refrigeration.

Yet, the need is still great. The new water system expands clean water access to fifty additional multigenerational families.

The Impact of Clean Water Access

Before the new system was installed, many families struggled to access clean drinking water. Some households walked several miles to reach a borehole. Others relied on nearby swamps, where water quality was poor, resulting in frequent waterborne illness. Long waits at crowded water points often meant returning home after sunset—posing serious safety risks, particularly for women and girls, who frequently report harassment and violence along dark, isolated routes.

That has now changed. Today:

• 200 women and girls have reduced exposure to gender-based violence associated with long journeys to collect water.
  
• The community now avoids an estimated 200 hours of unpaid labor every day that was previously spent fetching water.
  
• Over the course of a year, that adds up to roughly 73,000 hours returned to the community—time that can be spent on education, livelihoods, and family life.

Access to water close to home is transforming educational opportunities.

“Fetching water used to control my entire day,” said Namulondo Filista, a secondary school student. “Many times, I went to class tired and unable to concentrate. Access to nearby clean water is giving girls like me the chance to focus on our education, stay safe, and plan for a better future.”

Access to safe water also has immediate impacts on community health. Across sub-Saharan Africa, millions of families rely on unsafe water sources, contributing to high rates of diarrheal disease and other preventable illnesses.

In Bukyerimba, families who once depended on swamp water are already seeing the difference.

“Before this project, my family spent more than six hours every day searching for water,” said Jamir Kyesegero, a father of nine. “Sometimes we had to drink from swamps and my children were constantly sick. Now the tap is only a few steps from our home. The water is clean and safe. This project has given us health, time, and peace of mind.”

Access to clean water provides relief today. It also promises a new future.

“As a widow caring for many grandchildren, walking two hours to fetch unsafe water was exhausting and dangerous,” said Noam Mukyala, a 60-year-old grandmother. “Safe water from the solar system means my family can be healthier, stronger, and able to focus on farming and school instead of survival.”

Energy Access Enables Water Access

Without electricity, pumping and distributing water is often impossible. But solar power offers a reliable and sustainable solution for off-grid communities.

Uganda has made significant progress in expanding energy access in recent years, yet millions of people—particularly in rural areas—still lack reliable electricity. Solar technologies provide a pathway to deliver essential services like clean water, healthcare, and food production even in the most remote regions.

By harnessing renewable energy, communities can build infrastructure that improves health, safety, education, and economic opportunity—all while avoiding the pollution and costs associated with fossil fuel-powered systems.

A Model for Community-Led Development

The solar-powered water system in Bukyerimba demonstrates what is possible when local leadership and clean energy solutions come together.

Through partnerships with organizations like the Rape Hurts Foundation, SELF works alongside communities to design solutions that respond to real, pressing needs—while protecting the planet.

In Bukyerimba, the impact is already clear.

“Through our partnership with the Solar Electric Light Fund, we are witnessing how solar-powered water systems, lighting, and productive-use energy are transforming lives—reducing hours spent fetching water, preventing disease, enabling income generation, and restoring hope,” said Tanyinga.