In displacement contexts in East Africa, access to reliable and sustainable energy remains a major challenge. In refugee camps and host communities in countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan, energy provision is often fragmented, short-term in focus, and insufficient to meet people’s needs. Existing technology-driven approaches frequently fail to address the most pressing challenges, while limited understanding of lived experiences of energy access hinders the development of sustainable solutions. Many interventions rely on external models — such as diesel generators — without adequately considering local realities and resources.

The AWARE project addresses these challenges by adopting a bottom-up perspective on energy access in displacement settings. Working in Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan, the project explores how people experience energy provision and how it affects their daily lives and well-being. By placing community perspectives at the centre, AWARE aims to generate practical knowledge for more sustainable and inclusive energy approaches.

At the core of the project is a participatory action research approach. In collaboration with refugee-led organisations and community members, spaces are created for joint learning, reflection, and experimentation. Participants actively identify challenges, test solutions, and refine them over time. This iterative process enables context-specific and realistic solutions to emerge, grounded in local knowledge. By linking research, action, and participation, AWARE contributes to a deeper understanding of energy access and supports the development of sustainable, needs-based approaches that improve living conditions and strengthen communities’ capacity to shape their own solutions.