By: Peter Agengre
About twenty-five thousand people in eight communities in the Upper East and Upper West Regions are targeted to reap the benefit of fuel-efficient stoves given to households by A Rocha Ghana under the Sahel Opportunity Project.
The stoves distribution is an effort to improve people’s quality of life and reduce the protection risks faced by women and girls when they have to gather firewood from unsafe areas.
The stove distribution project is targeted at reducing the degradation in the Sahel Region and also improving the livelihoods in communities. The stoves, which were distributed for the Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) Initiative, are intended to bring multiple benefits to almost every family living in their communities.
The fuel-efficient cooking stoves also have additional health and environmental benefits. They help to prevent further deforestation and produce less smoke than traditional fires, reducing the incidence of respiratory diseases. According to the project manager for A Rocha Ghana, Godwin Evenyo Dzekoto said their aim is to make sure that people are able to prepare food safely with less charcoal.
“This type of cook stove has an efficiency of 38-40 percent, meaning that they will use 40 percent of less charcoal they would conventionally use at home. It helps them to regulate the amount of air that goes through and also the heat and the quantity of charcoal that they need.” Mr. Evenyo Dzekoto explained.
Assembly member for the Tarikom Electoral Area, Mr. Isaac Anongwin said the Sahel Opportunity Project has made an impact in their lives. He said they have been delivered from environmental destruction, poor hygiene and poverty. A member of the Tarikom Women Group, Mrs. Dorcas Ayeebo commended A Rocha Ghana for introducing them to the fuel-efficient cooking stoves.
“We always walk long distance to get firewood and charcoal but I think with this one provided, I don’t think we will go far away to spend so much on charcoal. Previously, we use about one basin of charcoal but I think we would now be using less.” Mrs. Dorcas Ayeebo commended.
The Tarikom Community in the Bawu West District and the Winkogo Community in the Talensi District from the Upper East Region are among the eight communities benefitting from this distribution.
