Pitch
The project aims at introducing an improved cook stove which is efficient and uses less firewood.
Description
Summary
Ukhondo Services Foundation (USEF) would like to implement the project “improved cook stoves for sustainable climate change management” with an aim of introducing an improved cook stove to over 2700 households in traditional authority Kyungu in Karonga district, training ninety (90) trainers of trainees (TOTs) who will be responsible for instructing households in construction of improved cook stoves. Karonga district experiences deaths, unnecessary expenditure of money on disaster preparedness and recovery, loss of property due to floods, strong winds that are a result of cutting down trees for fish drying, cooking and charcoal burning.
The project therefore, aims at reducing the impact to a reasonable rate as people will adopt the improved cook stove which consumes less firewood. In addition, the project will help to reduce the rate at which carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere in the sense that less use of firewood entails less gas (smoke) emission. Women and children are the worst victims as they are much exposed to fire which negatively affect their health (SDG 8). Again, women and children are highly used by families in fetching firewood making them strong agents contributing to climate change. The project seeks to increase awareness and participation of these groups in climate change impact mitigation by ensuring that over fifty percent of those to be trained on construction of the improved cook stove and members of the task force which will exist for sustainability of the project and tackling other climate change issues shall be women
Is this proposal for a practice or a project?
Project
What actions do you propose?
Description of Project Activities
- Management meeting with all members of board of trustees.
Indicator of progress: One board meeting has been conducted
- Briefing District Executive committee and local leaders
Indicator of progress: two briefing sessions conducted,a task force is formed to help facilitate and a project procurement committee has been formed.
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Identification of trainers of trainees and trained.
indicator of progress: trainers identified
- Purchase of materials for construction of improved cook stoves
Indicators of progress: quotations taken,selected and materials purchased.
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Construct a climate change management resource centre which shall act as a tool to continued efforts.
Indicator of progress: site identified by traditional leaders and resource centre constructed.
Who will take these actions?
The project activities shall include; Briefing District Executive Committee (DEC) members and local leaders, ToTs in construction of improved cook stoves, community mobilization, monitoring and reporting. Sensitizing households on the importance of adopting the improved cook stove then construction of such stoves. Monitoring shall be ongoing while evaluation shall be after every activity. Construction of climate change management resource center and then launching.
DEC and local leaders shall be aware and participate in all activities of the project, ninety (90) community members shall have been trained as ToTs facilitating the construction of improved cook stoves, over 2700 households shall have constructed improved cook stoves and adopt it permanently, at least all 2700 households shall have been visited by trainers of trainees, USEF and other stakeholders to assess the performance of the improved cook stoves and the behavior change of the beneficiaries, reports shall have been produced from ninety facilitators, consolidated and shared , a climate change management resource center shall have been constructed as planned and start working immediately.
Where will these actions be taken?
The project shall take place in Karonga district,north of Malawi in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kyungu covering Group Village headman Mbemba.
In addition, specify the country or countries where these actions will be taken.
Malawi
Country 2
No country selected
Country 3
No country selected
Country 4
No country selected
Country 5
No country selected
Impact/Benefits
What impact will these actions have on greenhouse gas emissions and/or adapting to climate change?
Many households use three stone stoves for cooking and drying of fish since access to electricity is not there. Use of improved cook stoves will at any cost reduce use of firewood, emission of gas (smoke) and the impact that fire has on women who always cook for the family. The improved cook stove is efficient and effective.Introduction of improved cook stoves will reduce the impact of floods such as deaths, loss of property and district council expenditure on disaster preparedness and recovery. In addition, the project is targeting people at household level and ensures direct interaction between project facilitators and beneficiaries as the final thing to be done requires interdependence between these two.The project aims at persuading people to reduce the use of firewood which will automatically reduce the rate at which people cut down trees. Not only that but also reducing the rate at which gases are emitted into the atmosphere as less use of firewood entails less gas emission. The smoke depletes the ozone layer. In specific, the project will help to increase awareness and participation of the community on climate change issues with the introduction of the resource center. The project will also enhance coordination of stakeholders as far as climate change management is concerned. Again, the project shall help to sensitize the community on the impact of climate change due to selling of locally available trees. Reduction in gas emission helps in reduction of air pollution which is one the tasks under environment management.
The impact of the project will be so huge to environment and community after implementation. Firstly, there will be enhancement in forestry management as a result of reduction in use of firewood. Secondly, the amount at which gas is emitted into the atmosphere shall be considerably reduced due to reduced smoke emission. The community shall have increased awareness and participation as far as climate change management is concerned. In addition, the project shall help to intensify coordination among stakeholders in combating climate change issues with the help of the resource center. Indirectly, the project shall help to ensure good health of the community as the improved cook stove contain heat inside it unlike three stone stoves which directly expose many to fire. To a large extent, USEF shall have increased knowledge and experience in project implementation and management and shall strengthen the relationship with the donor and implementing partners.
What are other key benefits?
This project will address the problem of climate change, economic empowerment and skills and knowledge development in making of improved cookstoves.Project will address these challenges:
Poverty reduction:
- Economic impacts on users-who benefit from reduction of time spent on their monthly firewood collections and time spent on cooking, thus using this time on agricultural productivity and on other income generating activities.
- Economic benefits producers-source of income to their respective families
Health-improved cook stove comes along with a significant reduction of smoke and therewith of indoor air pollution
Gender Empowerment:
- Women also produce stoves thus making these women benefit for the economic achievement of their stove business, which leads them to gain social prestige and empowerment
- firewood collection is reduced using the improved stoves.
- Women also benefit from a safe of cooking due to the closed design of the cook stoves, which leads to fewer burns and accidents.
Education:
- girls and boys save time in firewood collection which can be spent on homework or studies
Environmental sustainability: the dissemination of the cook stoves contributes to the protection of natural wood sources by reducing forests degradation caused by cook fuel removal.
Costs/Challenges
What are the proposal’s projected costs?
The project budget is $45,000 for two (2) years.
Though the project has much strength, there are a number of risks and threats from the start to the end. To start with, there is a risk of price fluctuations of materials to be purchased.
Disputes in communities are another risk. Such disputes may arise due to power struggle among local leaders and development committees; demand for construction might be higher than the targeted number of households. These cannot provide a conducive environment for implementation of the project. Local leaders may be used to solve such disputes in the sense that they are much respected in Karonga district as compared to other districts.
Another risk is the lack of willingness to adopt new ways of doing things. Some people are resistant to change. These people may practice the use of improved cook stove for a short period of time and thereafter embark on their previous ways. Continued adequate information on the importance of the improved cook stove which shall be strengthened by the existence of the resource center shall influence behavior change. There can be less coordination among stakeholders due to other commitments in their respective fields.
Timeline
The project is proposed for a period of Two years.
One of the values of USEF is confidence in the implementation of projects even with inadequate resources. Since the existence of the organisation, a number of activities have been carried out and sustained without external funding. “Improved cook stove for sustainable climate change management” project has all the opportunities to be sustained by USEF because of a number of reasons as follows;
- The project shall involve a reasonable number of stakeholders at all stages. This will help to build a sense of ownership in them making it easy to be sustained.
- The improved cook stove uses locally made materials which are cheap. This shall make maintenance of the stove easy in such a way sustaining use of the improved cook stove.
- The existence of the resource center shall help the task force, USEF, the community at large and the district council to continue monitoring and evaluating the project even after the project has phased out. The center may also act as a place where climate change issues can be tackled with joint efforts. The task force shall continue operating after project phase out as the resource center shall be meeting place.
- Successful implementation shall make it easy to sell the idea to other areas or some shall copy by just hearing or observing.
- USEF shall introduce climate change management circles at every group village headman which shall work hand in hand with the task force, village development committees and USEF. The aim is to increase awareness on climate change issues more especially emphasizing on the use of improved cook stoves. This may help to keep people hearing and practicing the use of the improved cook stove.
About the author(s)
The author of this proposal is Edgar Phiri,the Founder and Executive Director of Ukhondo Services Foundation,a local not for profit non governmental organisation established and registered with the government of Malawi in 2006.The organisation works in these thematic areas:
- Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture,
- HIV/AIDs programme
- Water and Sanitation
- Education
- Youth and Women Empowerment.
The author is a Malawian and stays in Malawi.
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