Challenge
Generally, in the province of South Kivu and everywhere else in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), wood and charcoal are households’ the main source of energy for cooking food. In the region of Uvira and Fizi, forest resources are almost wiped out and only wooded savannahs remain.
Deforestation has reached a high level today and is likely to increase in the future, which directly threatens water resources and leads to drought. It also destroys animal habitat and creates warmer and drier weather conditions. The adverse climatic conditions seen in the decline of rainfall or rainfall frequency increases affects agricultural productivity and makes the socio-economic livelihoods of smallholder farmers more difficult.
In addition to the local effects of deforestation and climate change, people are unfamiliar with alternative and sustainable energy solutions. Yet solutions like biomass energy and briquettes are better-quality, economic and ecological products that make it possible to protect and conserve forest resources.
Solution
Nabahya Food Institute’s innovation provides alternative fuel source for cooking food without destroying trees. Their briquettes are basically made using crop residues, biomass, dead leaves, rice, maize, and sorghum stalks. Unlike charcoal, briquettes do not emit any smoke.
This innovation reduces household cooking energy expenses, boosts food productivity, improves health, avoids air pollution, protects natural resources and the environment. In a developing country like DRC firewood and charcoal are still the main sources of cooking energy and women are typically responsible for this task. This innovation reduces the household cooking energy expenses, reducing physical energy spent looking for firewood or higher expenses of charcoal. It improves health by avoiding air pollution through non smoke emitting briquettes. This time and labor-saving solution grants women more freedom to pursue economic activities.
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