The use of organic waste as cooking fuel instead of organic manure is now successfully implemented in Kageno. We use fuel briquettes instead of burned charcoal, cutting down trees or purchasing gas.
This idea has helped a great deal in reducing the widespread of deforestation. Fuel briquettes have emerged as a significant business enterprise in the households of some families. Some households can make their own briquettes in Kageno from soaked waste paper and other combustible domestic wastes.
Informal waste collection is done to separate the dried organic waste products to make fuel briquettes for domestic and commercial use.
In the previous days Kageno has been using the gas for cooking for the children in the nursery school, but given the economic and energy conditions in Rusinga Island, wastes remain a viable alternative fuel. The 10 women involved in this project will get a salary proportional to the number of briquettes made at the end of every month. Each day this group can make up to 200 pieces of briquettes.
Briquet making has dramatically changed the economics of using fuel as an alternative energy resource. Secondly, a shortage of fuel wood has become increasingly severe in most of the parts of Rusinga Island leading to deforestation. Finally, there has been a steady increase by environmental concerns to address the problem of domestic and urban waste disposal, a dilemma that briquette has helped remedy.
Briquette involves the collection of combustible materials that are not usable because of their low density, and compressing them into a solid fuel product of any convenient shape that can be burned like wood. Thus, the material is compressed to form a product of higher bulk density, lower moisture content, and uniform size, shape and material properties. Briquettes are easier to package and store, cheaper to transport, more convenient to use, and their burning characteristics are better than those of the original organic waste material.
This project has built upon Kageno Kenya’s Environment Awareness and conservation programs. Through implementing this program, the following results have been achieved:
1. Improving household recycling and drastically lower deforestation within Kageno catchment’s area.
2. Training 50 families on management of fuel briquette.
3. Creating Income generating activity to10 families through selling the briquettes to Kageno.
4. Facilitating the upgrading of the local use of organic wastes.
5. Educating the community to collect wastes to make money.
Recycling of organic materials into fuel briquettes contributes to solving rural needs such as income-generation, insufficient land for waste disposal and maintaining environmental quality. Enhancing the recovery of organic waste can restore various natural cycles, thus preventing the loss of raw materials, energy and nutrients. On the other hand, the demand for energy in Rusinga Island is expected to add through the use of briquette. There is urgent need to replicate this technology in Rusinga Island and other developing villages and fuel briquette appears to be addressing the multiple needs of the environment. The market price of briquettes is less than that of gas and a regular supply of briquettes is assured, then many new market and environmental opportunities are likely to emerge.
Alphonce Okuku,
Kageno Kenya Trust,
Country Director
Interesting site, always a new topic .. good luck in the new 2011. Happy New Year!
Posted by: school_dubl | 29 December 2010 at 04:51 AM