In Uganda, clean and affordable energy is a pressing need—nearly 90% of the country relies on traditional biomass fuels, which threaten both health and the environment.
Conventional biomass sources include wood, charcoal, and crop residues—all linked to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, deforestation and higher greenhouse gas emissions.
Many communities around the world have no choice but to rely on these methods due to the limited availability and higher costs of cleaner alternatives—something Mariah Kizza experienced firsthand.
“In 1994, I was orphaned and taken to live with my grandmother in a rural district in Uganda called Rakai, where there is no access to electricity,” explained Mariah. “I was left to prepare the meals, and our regular fuel was firewood. I hated it because it would make me cough and my eyes would always turn red.”
Years later, driven by her personal experience, Mariah was inspired to launch a community-based organization called SWEDO Innovations Limited.
“I admired women who owned businesses,” said Mariah. “But at the same time, I saw an opportunity to empower more women, especially those unemployed, to gain skills and livelihood.”
Mariah purchased an old poultry structure and transformed it into a vocational training center to teach women valuable skills like tailoring, mushroom-growing and briquette production. After learning a skill, many women launch successful social businesses within SWEDO’s facility.
As the organization grew, Mariah sought guidance from programs like the Because Accelerator, where she was advised to personally focus on one product.
“Because of the energy poverty and lack of access to clean cooking, and noting the effects of using traditional biomass, I realized that there was a big opportunity to serve, create and move beyond our village,” said Mariah.
Today, Mariah is tackling the issue of traditional biomass reliance head-on by manufacturing briquettes from organic agricultural waste—reducing waste and providing a cleaner, more affordable energy solution. When used with complementary stoves, the briquettes produce less smoke and are more efficient than traditional methods.
“Our main customers are commercial women-led food vendors, whose energy demand is high due to spending the entire day cooking,” said Mariah.
Mariah works with 14 individuals in her community and hopes to expand beyond Uganda over the next five years.
As part of the 2024 Because Accelerator cohort, Mariah’s biggest takeaway was to “always tell a story and reflect on why you started the business.”
Learn more about SWEDO and its mission to provide cleaner energy solutions.
At Because International, our mission is to alleviate poverty. Our patented product is The Shoe That Grows—a shoe that expands five sizes, removing a barrier to education and health for kids. Over 450,000 pairs have been distributed in 100+ countries to kids and families impacted by poverty or crises. This both inspires and fuels the work we do with entrepreneurs—providing training, mentoring, networking and funding for enterprises that are making a difference with their own products. Together, we believe we can create a world where all communities thrive.
