Powering up the Bidibidi settlement

As of last month, we are delighted to confirm BuffaloGrid and UK for UNHCR will be collaborating to bring power to the BidiBidi refugee settlement in Uganda.

On a “mission to bring mobile power and internet to the next billion”, our friends at BuffaloGrid are sending  200 Buffalitos – portable smart lamps and power banks – to those who need them most at the Bidibidi refugee settlement in Uganda.  

Currently, there are 1.2 million refugees in Uganda’s Bidibidi Settlement, which is the largest refugee camp in Uganda and the second largest in the world, covering 250 square kilometres. 

With an estimated 73 per cent of men and 44 per cent of women in Bidibidi owning a phone, we’re incredibly excited that can help put power and light into their hands. What’s more, the Buffalito runs on solar energy and can act as a light for hours while fully charging most phones; this can allow displaced people in Bidibidi to connect with their loved ones while making day-to-day tasks far easier to complete.  

BuffaloGrid completed their initial funding target on Kickstarter and their first batch of Buffalitos  have gone into production. To learn more about BuffaloGrid and their plans for building a future where everyone is connected, visit their website.  

For more information and data about the Bidibidi settlement in Uganda, you can find out more on the UNHCR data portal.