Wood will finish, cow poo won't
Project: Kenya National Domestic Biogas Programme (KENDBIP)
Location: Nairobi | Kenya
Date: Friday 23 November 2012
Partners: Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (KENFAP) supported by Hivos as part of the 100% Sustainable Program
What did the hitchhikers do?
Nairobi hosts some of the most innovative new energy initiatives in East-Africa, among which the Kenya National Domestic Biogas Program (KENDBIP). KENDBIP aims for promotion, dissemination and adoption of the domestic biogas technology as a local alternative sustainable energy source through the development of a commercially viable, market-oriented biogas sector.
Farmers represent 80% of the rural poor population of Kenya, who depend on agriculture, mainly mixed farming, through rearing livestock and cultivating land for their livelihoods. The majority of these farmers, forming the main component of the rural poor rely on wood as their main source of energy for both cooking and lighting. This results in heavy depletion of the country’s forest reserves and thus serious environmental degradation.
The biogas technology is an alternative energy source for cooking and lighting for the rural farmers. The biogas technology uses the waste produced at the farm to produce clean renewable energy. The biogas plants also produce slurry as one of the by-products which can be utilized to improve soil fertility. However, farmers in Kenya have not exploited the use of this technology due to various reasons including limited awareness on the technology and limited disposable incomes from the farming activities. The overall goal of the Kenya National Domestic Biogas Programme (KENDBIP) is promotion, dissemination and adoption of the domestic biogas technology as a local alternative sustainable energy source through the development of a commercially viable, market-oriented biogas sector.
Who are the partners involved?
The Kenya National Domestic Biogas Program (KENDBIP) will be implemented between 2009 and 2013 under the auspices of the Kenya National Biogas committee (KENBIC) which is chaired by the Ministry of Energy and draws its membership from relevant stakeholders from both private and public sectors. The Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (KENFAP) is the implementing organization for this program in Kenya.
The Kenya Biogas program is a component of the African Biogas Partnership Program (ABPP), funded by the Directorate General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs through two Dutch development NGO’s, the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos) and the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV).
This biogas program is part of the '100% Sustainable' campaign of our partner Hivos. Through these, and many other projects and programs, Hivos wants to contribute to a fair, free and sustainable world. Together with local organizations in developing countries, Hivos strives for a world in which all citizens – both men and women – have equal access to resources and opportunities for development.
What were the hitchhikers experiences? Can we see some photos, footage or blogs?
Watch episode 12 to see how the 100% Sustainable campaign is being implemented.
