Projects of EC East Africa
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Introduction
EC Uganda is carrying out activities in Nyeihanga village, Ndeija sub-county, Rwampara parish in Mbarara district. They will be focused on training a women's group on how to construct energy saving stoves, practically constructing the stoves in one primary school and in one home.
The increase of energy inefficiency and indoor pollution remains a problem through out many countries although ways to reduce such problems are spreading throughout communities at on individual level.
E.C Uganda volunteers are intervening through practically reaching out to the communities to cause a difference. E.C Uganda chapter is getting involved in contributing to health, plus a better standard of living for the people in Nyeihanga village. This group of volunteering youth will work with a group of women who will be mobilized and trained on how to make the energy saving stoves.
These actions expected to contribute on the climate stabilization in the long run since the women who collect a lot of fire wood will now utilize the trees wisely. The women's group will then be asked to train more and construct energy efficient stoves for other interested members in Nyeihanga community.
The energy construction by the women group is expected to be done at a fee determined by these women to other community members. This action is intended to even reach out to the neighboring village as the women also earn some income to sustain the activity as well as continue understanding the concept of Energy and climate change as saving the trees.
Why the women group:
The women group is chosen because they take up the biggest percentage of people who are directly involved in cutting down the trees for domestic use, they spend more than seven hours exposed to carbon monoxide fumes produced in the kitchen on three stone open stoves, the hardly earn any income despite their family and personal never-ending needs hence a supplement to the men's income in the home, they have the time and opportunity to grow and look after trees since most of their time is spent at home.
Implementation strategy:
The Energy Crossroads volunteers will stay in this Nyeihanga village for a week. An energy saving event will take place at the end of the week.
Day I:
The volunteers will meet the group of women where they will be introduced to the energy saving stove.
Day II:
Volunteers will train the group of women how to construct the stove at a chosen home in the village. They will be also trained on how to test for the carbon monoxide with the use of carbon monoxide sensors. The group of women will be taught in theory on how to use the carbon monoxide sensors so that when the stove has dried after two weeks it will be installed in the kitchen to ensure minimal emission of carbon monoxide.
Day III:
Construction of the stove at a chosen primary school will.
Day IV:
Demonstration on how the energy saving stove is made with the raw materials with the parents and community members participating and asking questions after which they will be directed to the school kitchen to see the complete energy saving stove plus the carbon monoxide sensor.
However, during the same week some of the volunteers will work with the children at a Nyeihanga primary school so as to come up with a half day concert in relation to the full weekÕs energy saving stoves training with the women group.
This event will include exhibition of these stoves at the school in the morning hours. The parents, teachers, womenÕs group, will be invited. Short plays, poems and dances in relation to the energy saving stoves will be part of the concert highlighting indoor pollution sensitivity, use of carbon monoxide sensors and tree planting and conservation in general.
This event will bring about the energy saving women's group being advertised to the entire community as constructors of the stoves. The group and work of the women, children and youth will be noticed and appreciated. They have a big role to play in energy saving and mitigating climate change.
Some volunteers will be involved in door to door giving out energy saving posters and fliers.
Before moving to Nyeihanga community, Energy Crossroads volunteers will be trained for two days on how to individually construct an energy saving stoves while they are still in Kampala. The trainer/expert will meet them and give them specific measurements and show them every step on how the effective stove is constructed.