Mr. & Mrs. Henry Twinemasiko and their son, Soloman.
Read an interview with school director, Henry Twinemasiko. More than 90 percent of sub-Saharan Africa depends on wood, charcoal, and other solid biomass fuels for cooking and heating. So when Henry Twinemasiko found it increasingly difficult and costly to supply woodfuel to the six schools he runs in the Rubaare district of rural Uganda, he reached out to The Charcoal Project (TCP) for help.
Henry’s timing was perfect as it coincided with TCP’s program expansion. After some due diligence, TCP decided Rubaare would be the perfect place to develop its first Biomass Energy Efficiency Program, or, BEEP, for short. Biomass may be the lowest rung on the energy ladder, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be used efficiently and in a sustainable manner. Our BEEP strategy examines the community’s energy supply chain and identifies the best opportunities to implement affordable and sustainable biomass energy efficient solutions, which include clean cookstoves for homes and schools, to sustainable solid biomass fuels made from discarded agricultural waste and other biomass residues, to community-based tree planting for fuel.Our BEEP aims to:
- address regional deforestation by developing sustainable alternatives and sustainable sources of woodfuel
- improve public health and reduce GHG emissions through the use of cleaner fuels and stoves
- create jobs through the expansion of energy efficient technologies and practices
- empower women by saving them time and money
- create verifiable, quality carbon offsets that support program financing and expansion.
Our goal with our partners in Rubaare is to establish a self-sustaining program that can function independently of The Charcoal Project. Our hope is that Rubaare will become a model for communities that depend on woodfuels and charcoal in other parts of Africa, Latin America, and Asia. You can help Henry, the students, and the community by supporting The Charcoal Project.
For more
information or to support our program, please contact Sylvia Herzog at sherzog@charcoalproject.org Our partnership with the Rubaare community is one example of how The Charcoal Project is working to achieve its mission, which is to promote and facilitate the widespread use of biomass energy efficiency solutions for the 3 billion energy poor worldwide who still depend on wood, charcoal, and other biomass for their daily fuel.
Photos courtesy of Lesley Player.