Environmental projects
Accomplished since 2009
Two of our projects have a particular focus on improving the environment:
- The improved ovens
- The reforestation project
Results and Impact
The improved ovens
All of the women from the 9 villages have been trained to construct improved ovens made of clay and stone in 2009. These ovens require a significant reduction in fuel consumption. Use of the improved ovens is estimated to save about 1,000 trees per year. The reduction in fuel consumption also reduces the need for women to go in search of and to carry back wood. Other benefits of the ovens are that food is cooked faster, and women's health improves thanks to not having to stand over smoky fires. The goal is to stimulate more families to use these improved ovens. If only half of the families in the villages use these improved ovens, it will save 2.850 trees a year. The project has been halted in 2010. In 2011 the project will run again.
Reforestation project
Thanks to the reforestation project, there is less erosion that results in a better harvest. Until 2009, 77.550 trees have been planted to reduce erosion. Of these, 1.800 are fruit trees. 40% of the tees are still alive. 11.820 new trees (cassia, melina) and 5.760 fruit trees (mango, cashew, orange and lime) have been planted in 2010.
Challenges
We want to encourage more families to take advantage of the improved ovens. If only half of the families use the improved ovens, it will safe 2.850 trees per year. One other concern is the sustainability of the improved oven after a few years: will the women repair or replace the oven?
If we want to structurally tackle erosion, we need to plant more trees than are being cut down. We estimate that 1.900 families in the nine villages use approximately 11.400 trees (per 6 years per family). Per year 6.200 are planted due to forestation. This number must increase and the deforestation should decrease.
Village view
