In 2013, the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) developed a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy  that sets out the direction and boundaries of ERA’s engagement with stakeholders in the social and environmental sphere. ERA’s CSR agenda is aimed at making a positive contribution to the challenges in our corporate environment by being a catalyst for change in environmental protection, health interventions, education support and response to disaster situations.

Guided by the CSR Policy, ERA has been involved in the community as a corporate citizen responding to natural disasters, supporting underprivileged rural schools and health centers and provision of clean water for rural communities.

After years of responding to ad hoc requests and natural disasters, in 2017, ERA designed a proactive intervention plan aimed at strategic interventions to the areas we judge most vulnerable. To that effect, ERA identified poor schools in hard to reach areas and donated scholastic materials (textbooks and exercise books) to schools in Kalangala, Kitgum and Bundibugyo Districts.

In 2018, ERA rehabilitated rural water springs in seven districts in the East, North, Central and Western parts of the Country. Basing on the data provided by the Ministry of Health, the rehabilitated wells serve over 2,162 people and 430 households across the seven beneficiary Districts.

In October 2019, ERA launched an environmental restoration tree planting project that will cover Four (4) forest reserves across the country and is expected to run up to 2021. The project was launched at Ongom Central Forest Reserve located in the catchment area of River Achwa that hosts the five Achwa Hydropower Projects of a combined capacity of 132 MW. The project will also cover the Laura Central Forest Reserve along the catchment areas of River Nyagak in West Nile, Wamale and Buwaje Central Forest Reserves in the Central and Western Regions.

The project is expected to contribute to the regeneration of the forest cover in the catchment areas of the target rivers, which in turn, will sustain the integrity of the ecosystem services in the areas and boost the livelihood of the people/animals that depend on these River ecosystems for survival, as well as the Hydropower Plants downstream. The trees are also expected to support the water cycle in the wetlands that feed into the rivers. This will lead to sustained water supply thereby supporting the Sustainability of the Hydropower Plants constructed on the Rivers.

Further in 2019, ERA launched a CSR project involving career guidance visits to Girls’ Schools by Women serving in the Electricity Supply Industry. Through this project, ERA targets to empower and inspire the younger female generation to pursue a path that will enable them to benefit from the tremendous opportunities the Energy Sector presents, with the view of bridging the wide male-female gap in the Industry. Since 2019 when the program was launched, it has covered 19 (Nineteen) Girls schools across the country, reaching over 12,000 students. Over 20 professional ladies in the sector have participated in this activity offering the very best advice to the Girl Child to stay in school.

 

Download ERA's CSR Policy Here