SNV joins debate on innovative business models for humanitarian settings
Martijn Veen, SNV Global Sector Coordinator for Sustainable Energy Markets will participate in a panel discussion at the upcoming DCHI annual event focusing on new business models for Humanitarian settings.
During the discussion, Martijn will speak about SNV’s market-based approach which has been applied in several informal setting projects across SNV's Energy, Agriculture, and WASH sectors.
Dutch Coalition for Humanitarian Innovation
The Dutch Coalition for Humanitarian Innovation is comprised of governmental actors, knowledge institutes, academia, businesses, and humanitarian organizations in the Netherlands who develop and scale innovative solutions to increase the impact and reduce the costs of the humanitarian action.
The event
DCHI's 2018 annual conference will take place on the 2 October in the Fokker Terminal, The Hague and is an opportunity for organisations to meet other members of the DCHI community and learn, share and work together on innovation in the humanitarian sector.
The programme will start with an opening session which includes a keynote by Anna Chojnacka, founder of the 1% Club. Main sessions include: From Pilot to Scale, New Business models for the Humanitarian Sector, Public-Private collaboration, and Finance for Innovation.
New business models for the humanitarian sector
This panel discussion aims to inspire & inform participants about the new opportunities and views that exist in realising different business models for the humanitarian sector. There is increasing funding needed due to the crises around the world and NGOs cannot and do not want to be dependent on only institutional funding. Questions the panel members will address are:
What are other sources of funding than institutional funding? How can the humanitarian sector be less dependent on institutional funding?
How can we enable people in a crisis to be self-reliant?
What is changing the context of humanitarian aid? Why is it necessary to look at different funding mechanisms?
What are examples of best practice of new mechanisms?
SNV at the event
SNV aims to bridge the gap between emergency humanitarian aid and long-term development with projects in informal settings.
During the panel session on new business models, Martijn Veen will use the example of a market-based energy access project that SNV is implementing in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Martijn will illustrate how this approach can stimulate and develop sustainable markets in informal settings. These setting were supposed to be a temporary measure but are now becoming homes for displaced communities for generations.
The main objective of this new initiative is to promote sustainable market-based energy access for cooking and lighting by supporting clean energy entrepreneurs. Also, this project aims to facilitate market-based access to cookstoves, solar energy, and small electricity services for households and businesses in Kakuma Refugee camp and host community.
SNV in informal settings
Read a blog by SNV nutrition expert on the humanitarian and development nexus - bridging the nutrition gap in Cameroon.
Read more about PRESEC project launched in response to migrating populations in Northern Regions of Cameroon.
Learn how SNV has applied a market-based approach to energy access at Kakuma refugee camp.
To learn more about SNV's activities and projects in informal settings, please visit the impact page – Informal settings.