USE OF IMPROVED COOKING STOVES (ICS) TO REDUCE PRESSURE ON FOREST HABITATS IN GISHWATI NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA
Summary
This solution is about to educate beneficiaries on how to make an Improved Cooking Stove (ICS). Beneficiaries are youth and women from group of poachers and those cutting down trees in the park. They are adolescent mothers, victims of sexual abuse and young men unable to pursue their education.The Park is the source of income to them, therefore to empower them will be a major boost to environment preservation.
They will be selected, educated on the environment and trained to make ICS.
Once equipped with hands-on skills to make an ICS they can sell them. In this case ICS have economic effect since they are generating income. ICS will reduce consumption of fuel by 30% hence the reduction of dependence on firewood; Indoor air pollution is reduced and the health of users is preserved too.
ICS promote gender equality since time that was spent by women and girls for collection of firewood, is spent in attending other developmental and creational activities such as public meetings etc.
Classifications
Region
Scale of implementation
Ecosystem
Theme
Challenges
Sustainable development goals
Challenges
The solution is meant to address economic, social and environmental issues.
The first challenge is the unemployment mostly in the youth and women including those who did not attend schools, Making ICS is a job for them. The second is the excess of expenditure on firewood; the polluted air and dirtiness in the household that uses traditional 3 stones stove are other challenges for the members of the family. ICS is a solution.
Women spend a lot of time in search of firewood and the use of non-efficient cooking stoves wastes time that could be used for other activities that generate income. More importantly, intensive tree cutting is leading to significant deforestation in the local areas. Impoved Cooking Stove is the right solution too.
Beneficiaries
Residents of Rutsiro near Gishwati Park. Those involved in poaching, tree-cutting in the park or in its buffer zone. Among these are teen mothers and single mothers head of families, youth that were unable to pursue their education.
Building blocks
How do the building blocks interact?
These building blocks complement each other. Education on importance of ICS in protecting the environment is as important as providing skills of making those ICS. For the community to change from traditional 3 stones stove; it is necessary to undergo the changing behaviour training before adopting the improved cooking stove.
Citizens should be made aware of why the changes is needed. once they understand the needs and interest of adopting the new product then we train them how to produce it. There is a performance contract that states what the community will do but also how they will benefit from it.
Interaction Gallery
Impacts
The solution is meant to address economic, social and environmental issues. ICS will provide jobs to young people who sell them to the community, and they will be able to afford the cost of basic needs such as health insurance, food and clothing.
ICS will improve the social wellbeing within community users as well.
Generally ICS has a direct influence on the quality of life of the communities by improving their health, hygiene in homes and overall productivity. It contributes in reducing the cutting down of trees by 30% for those who use ICS. Thus, Improved Cooking Stoves is a viable option and a sustainable alternative for the community to overcome some of these issues, e.g. by reducing household expenditure for buying charcoal and firewood.
Story
My name is Nsengimana Claude, I am 26 years old. I live in Gatunda Sector, Nyagatare District. We are seven in our family. I am learning the improved cooking stoves (ICS) technology through support of Rwanda Environment Awareness Organization (REAO). I dropped out of school when I was in high school because my family could not afford the school fees and other scholastic requirements. This was really hard for me because I couldn’t dream anymore. My life was completely over. But I remembered the saying that “is not over until it is done”. I believe it now.
After, joining ICS technology training I am now on my way to a changed a person. Now my life is on track. I am the right person to witness that, life is the best gift. As long as you still breathe, do not give up.
Now, due to ICS technology trainings, I have learnt how make the frames of a stove. Minutes the inner dough of clay soil and I have managed to produce 3 frames of Improved Cooking stoves in 7 days and planning to build more stoves. The trainers have praised me as a fast learner. Before joining I didn’t earn even 10,000RWf in a month from cultivating for other people. However, with these skills I am getting during these trainings, I want to use them in future so that I can earn more money. I am really grateful and inspired with what REAO is doing. Through ICS trainings I have learned how to preserve our environment.
Pictures
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Comments
The Solution recommended is
Dingming An | Qinghai Normal University | Fri, 09/17/2021 - 11:18
Thank you An for your
Theophile HATEGEKIMANA | Rwanda Environment Awareness Organization-REAO | Tue, 10/05/2021 - 02:41