KITE and its development partner Participatory Partners for Development (PAPADEV) with support from The Forestry Commission and Bole Bamboi District Assembly under Energy Commission funding developed and implemented a project dubbed “Integrated Biomass Project.” The project had three components: promotion and establishment of community owned tree plantation; promotion and technology transfer of improve charcoal production system, promotion and technology transfer of improved charcoal cook-stove.
Creating awareness for project activities, the project engaged one hundred and nineteen (119) local community members (50 men and 69 women) in the project community involving the chief and section leaders. The awareness sought to create an understanding and crave support for the project activities. Eighty one of the registered to participants took part in various activities under the project. Amongst the participants, 15 registered under woodlot management, 60 under charcoal production with the rest falling fabrication and sales.
Capacity enhancement workshops were also organized for the various grouping on kiln construction, improved charcoal production technologies, fabrication and promotion/sales of the improved cook-stove using the Toyola sales model. Through these trainings, participants improved their capacities and had additional streams of income.
Outcomes
KITE and partners have successfully established a three (3) hectare cassia plantation in the project community consisting of healthy stands on an average measure of about 20 feet high and 2.1 m2 in diameter. The plantation has been able to survive four (4) dry season in a community dominated with wild fires due to pragmatic management activities such as watering and creation of fire belt during the period.
A 3m3 brick retort kiln with 26% efficiency was constructed to be used by the charcoal producers. A total of sixty charcoal producers (all women) were trained.
Under the technology transfer and promotion of improved charcoal cook-stove; a supply chain has been established in the district and beyond. Additional hands-on and field demonstration trainings were succesffuly organized for fabricators and sales agents shedding more light on the efficiency of the improved stove