PEOPLE living in rural areas have welcomed the introduction of a biogas initiative, which has enabled them to generate electricity and sustain their small entrepreneurial projects.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
The biogas project is jointly funded by Hivos and Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) and three government agencies from the Ministry of Energy and Agriculture and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
It is being implemented in Domboshava, Insiza, Buhera and Nharira.
Nyararai Madyangove from Chivhu, said the project has proved beneficial to his small-scale dairy farming project, where he needs power to chill milk. He said since the introduction of the biogas project two years ago he has made significant savings.
“It’s now two years since I got my biogas digester. I use it mainly for my dairy farming activities,” Madyangove said.
“As a community, we run Nhariah Lancashire Dairy co-operative. I milk twice a day, but the advantage I have now is I don’t have to ferry the milk twice to the dairy.”
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He said he was saving a lot on transport costs, as after milking his cattle in the evening, he places the milk in a refrigerator and takes it to the diary the following morning. Madyangove said this has enabled him to use the money he would have used on transport costs on other important things.
“I have also managed to buy a stove, which is powered by the biogas. Life is becoming manageable for us people in rural areas. I encourage others to work hard and build their biogas digesters,” he said.
Inviolata Mudengezi from Domboshava said the biogas project played a key role in helping villagers conserve trees, as people in her area no longer use firewood as a source of energy.
“Besides other uses, biogas is helping me on cooking. There is no need to fight running battles with Environmental Management Agency [EMA], officials because I can cook everything I want on my biogas stove,” she said.
“It’s a major relief, even for my school-going grandchildren, who now have time to study using lights and do not have to spend their time fetching firewood.”
Mudengezi said she uses the waste from the biogas digester as fertiliser in the field and does not require additional funds to purchase fertiliser, so the money would be spread out to other needs.
With the increase in load-shedding and challenges in the expansion of the rural electrification programme, Energy minister Samuel Undenge said it was important to find alternative sources of energy.
He said about eight million Zimbabweans have no access to electricity and are still using traditional sources of energy, mainly firewood for cooking.
“Access to modern forms of energy can indeed unlock a lot of potential in rural and other areas deprived of such energy. With modern energy, people can improve the performance of existing enterprises, venture into new enterprises, create employment and improve incomes thus changing the face of rural areas,” Undenge said in a speech read on his behalf by his permanent secretary, Partson Mbiriri.
He said the country should look for innovative solutions to help the bulk of the population use other forms of energy besides firewood. “We cannot continue to think it is normal for the bulk of the population to continue using firewood more so when our forests are dwindling,” Undenge said.
“We are also all aware that burning firewood comes with major disadvantages, namely the health hazards, ecological disruptions resulting in climate change, environmental pollution, as well as the burden of labour that is borne by mainly women and children, in particular, the girl child who spends more time looking for firewood.”
Biogas digesters have come in handy for people constructing them in different villages.
“This initiative is creating employment for us. I have built a number of digesters and from the proceeds I managed to look after my family well,” Nzwananai Makaza said.
About 130 households have digesters so far under the project.
Biogas is a cheap and sustainable source of fuel for people without access to electricity said.
It is a gas produced by fermenting biomass such as plant material, livestock manure and other biodegradable waste.
The gas produced can be used for cooking, lighting and powering various productive activities and enterprises.
