Emergency Funds for Fuel Providers

Emergency Funds for Fuel Providers

The Charcoal Project (TCP) is raising funds to provide micro grants to fuel providers struggling with COVID 19 restrictions.  TCP will dedicate all funds raised in conjunction with the Giving Tuesday Now campaign to help entrepreneurs with payroll and other necessary expenditures.

The travel and transportation bans in East Africa related to the coronavirus, have put a serious damper on business. Fuel producers who provided to hotels and restaurants have seen a huge fall-off in business. Despite cooking fuels being deemed an essential product, transportation bans and curfews are still having a negative effect on business, making it difficult to transport to remaining household clients. Charcoal and wood prices have risen for consumers, compounded by the onset of the rainy season, which generally limits supply of these fuels.

COVID 19 in East Africa

While the death toll and hospitalization rates in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have been well below what we are witnessing in the US, the potential for economic and public health disaster is very real. All of these countries have significant poverty and a significant lack of basic health care services to rely upon. Social distancing in crowded urban areas is difficult and many areas lack running water and the ability to sanitize adequately. In Kenya, movement restrictions in and out of Nairobi and Mombasa are making it difficult for briquette producers to get feedstock and make deliveries. There is also a curfew that limits movement further. In Uganda, the number of cases have been fewer, but the government’s tight lock down has also impacted producers heavily.

Giving Tuesday Now

Giving Tuesday, normally held in December following Black Friday, has been adapted to Giving Tuesday Now, to provide a philanthropic response to the very serious health, food and housing needs witnessed during this global pandemic. Because TCP’s producer groups provide fuel that is essential for cooking, it is of the utmost importance to help them deliver this fuel so that families can eat, and is why TCP is raising emergency funds for fuel providers. Funds raised during this campaign will help small business owners pay for wages, supplies, rent, etc. The first $2,000 raised in this campaign will be 100% matched by TCP’s partner, 3rd Creek Foundation.

Donate Here for Giving Tuesday Now

Women in Briquette Production

Video Tribute to Essential Producers of Household Fuel

To showcase the women who are hard at work providing clean cooking fuels during this public health crisis, we created this video – check it out and support our Giving Tuesday Now fund so that they can continue their good work!