TAGRODE Coordinator, Dickson
Mwalubandu (centre) is inspecting one of the biogas plants that they
have constructed at Chamndindi Model Renewable Energy Project which
was later on given to Alfonsina Lwiva (extreme left hand
side).
A resident of Chamndindi Village in
Nyang'oro Ward of Iringa Rural District, Alfonsina Lwiva explain to
the Guardian reporter in the picture how the biogas stove operates in
the kitchen yesterday.
Chamndindi Village Executive Officer
(VEO), Haruna Mkakala sitting in his office.
TAGRODE
Coordinator, Dickson Mwalubandu
By Friday Simbaya, Iringa
Tanzania Grassroots Oriented
Development (TAGRODE) has begun implementing the Renewable Energy (RE)
project at Chamndindi Model Village in Iringa District by constructing
three biogas plants with the capacity of three
cubic meters each, together with installing solar
panels at Chamndindi Clinic.
Speaking yesterday during an exclusive
interview TAGRODE Coordinator, Dickson Mwalubandu said that his
organization has so far constructed the three biogas plants as
demonstrating plants so that people at village can acclimatize and
start constructing their own plants.
Mwalubandu said that on beside of
constructing biogas plants, TAGRODE has also installed solar panels
and solar powered television at Chamndindi Clinic through the Solar
Grid Company.
He explained that Solar Grid Company
was able to loan their solar products under the sponsorship of the
village government such as the village chairman and village executive
officer (WEO).
“Solar Grid Tanzania Company Limited
is a company which was founded in 2014 that sells high quality solar
home systems in Tanzania, which was started by young Germany
entrepreneurs,” Mwalubandu said.
Mwalubandu said there is need to
ensure that the general public is taught on the use of solar power as
an option and an environmental friendly source of energy.
He also explained that the project’s
focuses mainly on improving energy access, increasing the household
income, boosting the availability of biomass energy, clean-safe water
and gain environmental knowledge at large.
Alfonsina Lwiva is resident of
Chamndindi Village in Nyang’oro, Iringa District whose TAGRODE has
constructed her biogas plant at her home.
Lwiva said that she was happy that she
has been constructed the biogas by TAGRODE which said help her and her
family so much.
She said that the coming the project
she used to walk at least five kilometers to look for heavy load of
firewood for domestic cooking but now she was no longer doing
that.
She biogas plant which uses cattle
dung to produce biogas for cooking and bio-slurry as a by-product has
lessen the use of firewood as fuel energy for cooking.
Bio-slurry is a by-product of biogas
which use as natural fertilizer to grow maize, potatoes, beans and
vegetables just to mention a few.
She said besides the using of biogas
plant the project has also constructed an improved efficient stove for
her which uses very few firewood compared to the traditional
three-stoned stoves.
She explained the improved efficient
stoves use very little firewood and it is able retain heat for a
longtime than the open air three-stoned traditional
stoves.
TAGRODE has already managed to
construct more than 50 improved efficient stoves in the village but
villagers have adapted the idea and they have constructed more 250
stoves, hence less use of firewood and conserve natural
forests.
Suza Limbumba is a medical officer in
charge at Chamndindi Dispensary, said he was happy that his dispensary
has been installed solar power panels and a solar powered
TV.
Solar powered TV is used to educate
and entertain outpatients while waiting for medical services at the
clinic, and during the evenings and weekends villagers flock to the
dispensary watch football matches of different premier
leagues.
Limbumba said that they were now able
to work at night and attend to patients without different despite the
other challenges the public clinic faces.
He said that expectant mothers were
able to give birth even at night because of the light from solar
power.
The medical officer in charge and
nurses live nearby the premises of clinic and they can be called at
anytime whenever there an emergency.
Chamndindi Village in Nyang’oro Ward
has a total of 527 households and 2,317 residents according to the
Village Executive Officer (VEO), Haruna Mkakala.
World Wide Fund for Nature Tanzania
(WWF-TCO) is implementing a Model Renewable Energy Project at
Chamndindi Village in Iringa District of Iringa Region through TAGRODE
a non-governmental organization based in Iringa
Region.
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