{"id":47010,"date":"2016-10-07T16:15:08","date_gmt":"2016-10-07T20:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging21.finca.org\/brightlife-une-entreprise-sociale-de-finca-international"},"modified":"2026-03-16T11:34:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:34:32","slug":"brightlife-une-entreprise-sociale-de-finca-international","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/finca.org\/fr-ca\/our-work\/entreprise-sociale\/brightlife-une-entreprise-sociale-de-finca-international","title":{"rendered":"BrightLife : Une entreprise sociale de FINCA International"},"content":{"rendered":"

Access to responsible finance<\/a> is an important tool for strengthening the economic security of poor and low-income families. Access to non-financial goods\u2014like clean energy products\u2014are also critical for improving health and wellbeing, increasing productivity and alleviating poverty. BrightLife, a social enterprise<\/a> by FINCA, pairs access to finance with access to energy to unlock productivity and wellbeing for the poor. It is also building pathways to financial inclusion<\/a> for the unbanked. https:\/\/youtu.be\/qqmgpuBOL8A<\/p>\n

Challenges of Off-Grid Living<\/h2>\n

Globally, nearly 770 million<\/a> people have no electricity. In Uganda, 73 percent<\/a> of the population is without access. People are forced to burn kerosene, wood and charcoal to meet their lighting and energy needs. These inefficient fuels lead to indoor air pollution that causes 2.6 million<\/a> premature deaths worldwide each year, plus threats like house fires and burns. Off-grid living also stifles productivity, hinders earning potential and increases household energy expenditures. Children in these households cannot study after sunset, leaving them academically disadvantaged. Countless businesses are forced to shutter at sundown, reducing available working hours<\/a>. And poorer households reliant on traditional fuels spend a relatively larger share of their total expenditure on energy. All together, these factors perpetuate a vicious cycle of poverty<\/a>. Together, we can change this.<\/p>\n

Harnessing Entrepreneurship to Drive Uptake of Clean Energy Products<\/h2>\n

Today, there are innovative, entrepreneurial solutions to poverty that aim to bring basic services to poor families and their communities. The key becomes how to provide access to quality and affordable products to markets deemed difficult to reach (rural) and uneconomical to serve (low-income). Recognizing the power of the FINCA global microfinance network<\/a>, we saw that we had a role to play in accelerating solutions. This led FINCA to establish BrightLife, a social enterprise in Uganda that provides last-mile distribution and end-user financing for products that create healthier and safer homes, increase productivity, reduce household expenses and provide additional income-generating opportunities.<\/p>\n

How BrightLife Serves Poor and Off-Grid Customers<\/h2>\n

BrightLife brings clean energy products to poor and low-income communities by:<\/p>\n