CO-Just Energy Transition for Refugees As of 31st July  2023, Uganda hosts about 1,547,981 refugees and asylum seekers from southern Sudan, DRC Congo ,Burundi, Ethiopia, Somali, Eritrea etc, while many refugees are living in the border areas  some 141,581 are living in the Kampala, the refugees operation in Uganda is based on the UNHCR protection and solution strategy , which focus on the responsibility of  government of Uganda toprovide protection and ensure that the refugees and asylum seekers live and dignify with host communities and finding lasting solution.
Across all the refugees settlement in  west Nile region i.e. ( Biddi-biddi, Imvepi and Rhino) refugees households depend on theavailable natural forest (fire woods) as the only sources of energy for cooking  food for their families   and also use of forest as sources for building material like  poles with long distance movement to collect firewood’s especially women and on average over 10,000 tress are cut on daily basis. This has resulted into massive clearing of the environmental cover within the settlements.
With the continue influx of the refugees especially in receiving settlement like Imvepi, Rhino   there is serious problem of energy for cooking  and bundle of fire woods cost 8000-10,000Ugx, while a bag of charcoal cost 35,000-50,000Ugx which normally take only  one month for a family this has made refugee women to move very far on average of 7-10 km  in search of firewood’s since they are incapable of buying from local market and they end up encroaching into  host communities farm, forest reserve near the settlement  this has been double  with the continued use of three stone stove  as the common practice across all the settlement  which  consume a lot of fibrewoods <(>&<)> production of smoke which courses respiratory disease among the refugees households.
In addressing this problem Oxfam with funding from DANIDA in 2022 initiated and  enrolled youth in green skills training in both community and Vocational training institutes (VTIs) which has enable them to acquire skills and knowledge on how to produce briquettes and energy efficient stoves to increase access to clean energy for cooking in west Nile. Currently these youth  has knowledge and skills  but they have been  limited by lack of start-up kits to produce both energy efficient saving stove and briquette and  with this Global  JET fund oxfam  will  procure start upkits to enable these your start production of stoves and briquettes  for sales  and this is going to be self-sustaining initiative
2. Description of the existing JET initiative/project – focus on methods applied and results obtained so far, andjustify why it should be further boosted and documented
Oxfam in Uganda has been promoting green skills growth on  briquettes and energy efficient stoves production in west Nile to address the challenges of clean energy for cooking for both refugees and host community (70% refugees and 30% host communities) these initiative has been implemented through community livelihoods  groups ……members a good representation of men and women and with a business mind set. Oxfam has procured and supported the groups with one set of briquette making machines comprising of Carbonizer , one crusher, mixer, two compactor and 4 set of Energy stoves Molds for making briquettes as sources of an alternative cleaner, sustainable energy and energy efficient stoves for cooking.The briquette are made out local available materials like plant residues
3. Description of the top-up project – objectives, results, and implementation strategy
Oxfam together with its local partners( LUGHI, YSAT,URDMC)  in liaison with UNHCR, district local government  identified, trained 500 youth( age 18- 35years old) in green skills for a period of 3-6months in briquettes and Energy saving stoves making in order to reduces deforestation and environmental degradation in and around the settlement, this has also reduced gender based violence, increased access to clean energy for refugees households, created jobs opportunities along the value chain of the following 1,production, marketing and usage of briquettes, 2.construction and utilization of the energy efficient stoves at household and institution level.
The above intervention has led to mitigation of the negative impact of the refugees influx on the environment, create and employ a significant numbers of women and youth within the settlement who are engaged in briquette and energy saving stoves productions  thisinitiative has significant gap in provision of start-up equipment  and JET fund will top up and upscale production through provision of the start-up equipment and other related training for youth groups, all the above intervention will lead to the following outcomes
a) Increase access to clean affordable energy for cooking for refugee and host communities households
b) Create jobs opportunities for youth through production and marketing of briquettes and stoves.
c) Reduces deforestation and  environmental degradation in and around the settlement
d) Reduced   gender based violence  in relation to energy and environment
Objective  youth Livelihoods groups supported with full set of briquettes  making machines, Energy saving stoves Molds.
Specific Objectives.
1) Environmental protection through promotion of alternative clean and efficient energy through briquettes and energy efficient stoves production.
2) Increase household income security through briquette and stoves as income generation activities
Strategically the project will also produce the following outputs.
1) Lessons learned, good practices documented and shared with other stakeholder.
2) Capacity building on energy and environmental related programmes organised
3) New, innovative ideas and approaches identified and implemented for energy technologies  and practices
4) Market based approaches identified and implemented for energy technologies
4. Key activities – preferably in chronological order
a) Mobilisation and formation of 5 youth Groups  under DANIDA SPII into briquette and stoves business groups Oxfam together with her partners( YSAT,URDMC  and LUGHI) will profile these groups and they   will be facilitated to establish leadership structure and register with the hosting sub counties and district, these group will have their constitution and acquire certificate of registration  which will be obtained from the sub counties as per the requirement for opening group bank account  for safe operation of their  clean energy business.
b) Conducting group dynamic training and GALS methodology for 4 youth groups with eachconsisting of 25-30 members, Oxfam and partners will train 4youth groups in group dynamic and 1st GALs Methodology to strengthen social cohesion, visioning and catalysing change by introducing the basic GALs change planning process within the groups the group will learn how to: establish leadership structure for their groups, managed groups affairs, manage group bank account, conflict resolution and the district community and commercial will be consulted to support the groups.
c) Conduct training on  business idea generation  (Briquette and stoves as business).Oxfam will conduct 3 days training in business generation, planning and management for the 4groups, this training will focus on providing guidance on how to conduct simple market assessment, develop businessplan, financial management and this training will be conducted in consultation with the district commercial officer.
d) Provision of start up kits( Briquettes and stoves making equipment
e) Conduct monitoring, visit and support to the Briquette and stoves groups.
Oxfam and partner will continue to supervise the development  and implementation of business plan of the groups, monitor their business and progressof the groups, in addition to the technical training, the beneficiaries will received supporton business plan review and monitor business activities to enable youth enhance their livelihoods and protect environment through green solution, Oxfam will closely follow up with each groups throughout the project period, providing advice and technical backstopping to ensure significant progress on greens solution.
f) Documentation of good practices.
Oxfam will document and share the lesson learn and good practices in energy transition
5. Partners and target groupsUnder partnership oxfam has been working with local and refugees lead organisations in implementing various project in west Nile and under this project oxfam will engage Uganda refugee and disaster    management councils(URDMC) and Youth social advocacy  for transformation (YSAT) who implementing DANIDA SPII project in west Nile in achieving energy transition, in this URDMC will be leading the work on green solution, environment protection and climate justice
The project primary target will be 5 youth groups(150 HH) who have been trained in green solution these youth groups  comprised of  both refugee and host communities in Madi Okollo,Terego <(>&<)> Yumbe Districts, in line with Uganda ReHope Strategy  70% of the project participant are from Refugees and 30% are host community.
The secondarytarget The other secondary target groups will include men, women, boys, girls and elderly refuges and host communities who are living in and around the Imvepi , Rhino and Bidibidi refugee settlements they are a population with majority being children( 57.6% and women (54.1%) and they will benefit from this project by buying both Briquettes and stoves from the youth groups at a subsize price and this will increase their access to clean energy at affordable price with the settlement