much can also be gained by helping landless households to get hold of nonland assets such as livestock or farm equipment which they can rent to farmers enabling them to participate in the agricultural market economy in a selfemployed capacity not only as labourers it can provide the basis for nonfarm and more productive employment allow children from poor households to perform better in school because they can do more homework and has a variety of other benefits providing a light bulb or two will not change many lives for the better however enabling chronically poor households to be part of the energy revolution will involve reducing the upfront costs of connection to the grid by allowing the poorest to pay the initial connection charges over long periods or be crosssubsidised by wealthier customers other essential steps include extending the grid or investing widely in offgrid decentralised and environmentally sustainable power at the same time energy providers need to work with other development agencies to enable the poorest households to acquire the equipment they need to render access to energy productive thereby reducing drudgery scott et al