Project Detail

Making Waste Work ? Transforming woody waste into fuel briquettes.

This Project focuses on contributing to other eco-friendly initiatives aimed at addressing environmental issues associated with climate change, resource depletion including deforestation, air pollution and poor waste management. This will be achieved through recycling of biomass materials to produce biomass briquettes for household and industrial use. Through waste collection for use in the production of briquettes as well as providing cost-effective alternative sources of energy for household use, this project will also focus on livelihood opportunities that aim at providing gainful employment to young people, particularly within the Western Rural District and across the country in general.
It is no hidden secret that the communities living in mountain rural districts are faced with very few options of economic activities. The area is prone to frequent crop failures due to the poor climatic conditions caused by extensive destruction of forests which has subsequently destroyed all the water catchment areas. In addition, the condition is made worse due to continuous cutting of trees for either charcoal or firewood. Charcoal and firewood form the biggest source of fuel for cooking in the mountain rural district. The two sources of fuel (firewood and charcoal) are environmental hazards in that they pollute the environment through fumes/smoke and gases. There is therefore the need for alternative sources of energy that will be able to address the above problems.
This project seeks to reclaim the tree cover along the relevant water catchment areas and encourage the community use alternative sources of energy. The dwindling forest resources, and expensive hydropower could not be the better answer for this ever-growing energy demand mainly for cooking and heating purposes. Therefore, technologies related to alternative renewable energy sources have recently been introduced for adoption and development, initially in the Western rural district with the possibility to escalate it to other geographical locations across the country.
The proposed project will address the problem at different levels in different magnitudes. Since briquettes can be made from unwanted bushes that inhibit the growth of forest tree plants,
? It will not compete with fuel wood rather substitute it giving a chance to thrive the growth of forest trees that would greatly contribute to maintaining the greenery or better natural environment.
? It will also give self-employment opportunities to the raw material collectors who are generally poor men and women of the villages helping them to generate some additional income and contribute to empower them economically (MDG ? 3).
? The persons engaged in production and marketing of briquettes will also get good employment opportunities.
? The transporters and distributors of briquettes will also get job opportunities. Moreover, the users at villages or towns will get more efficient and cleaner form of fuel wood substitute that provides energy for cooking and heating with almost no smoke.
? It will also substitute the consumption of kerosene and LPG in the communities to some extent during the periods of stress in supply of these energy sources as it oftentimes happens due to various reasons, domestic as well as increase in importation price factors. This will also greatly reduce the expenses incurred in treating diseases related to smoke pollution, as briquettes do not produce smoke.
The Project will be implemented in the Western Rural District of Sierra Leone

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Galilee Gallery Organization

Country:

Sierra Leone

Area Of Work:

Chemicals
Climate Change Mitigation

Operational Phase:

OP7 ?Y2 (Jul 21-Jun 22)

Grant Amount:

US$ 20,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 48,175.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

Project Number:

SLE/SGP/OP7/Y2/CORE/ CH/15/10/2021/18

Start Date:

12/2021

End Date:

12/2022

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

Capacity building and sustainability have been built into the project design and implementation. Across various project intervention areas the local language will be used for training to encourage indigenous people to participate and build ownership. The long?term sustainability of the project will however depend on several factors including security and political stability in the targeted communities and the country at large and these have been noted for the exit strategy, which will require a gradual phase?out approach

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

Economically, women headed households engaged in trading will be encouraged to expand their business through linkages. Besides, series of advocacy sessions will be held and women will participate to make their voices heard. Livelihood related activities will also target those women traders with the greatest human security needs, and will have an impact on peace and stability within these communities.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

Effectively documenting the different elements of the project is key to ensure that data and information are preserved over time and such a process will contribute to build a knowledge base for best practices as well as facilitate subsequent and future planning or cascading of similar project to other locations. Such data once preserved will promote the archiving and sharing of information Such documentations will include: - Minutes of Meetings - Field Monitoring Reports - Participants Lists of Meetings and Trainings - Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly/Bi-monthly/Annual (as the case may be) Project Reports - Training Manuals and Reports - Equipment Manuals - Financial and Narrative Donor reports

Notable Community Participation

Since late 2020, as part of the project planning and design, various consultation was held with various stakeholders of the Western rural District including Head Men, Councilors, executives of PWDs, Youth groups and Women Groups. The outcome of these consultations suggests that briquetting is a very good initiative and it is important to act now to avoid future environmental crisis or disaster especially in the deforested areas and slopes. These stakeholders will be coopted into the Executive Committee that will meet on a quarterly basis (or as required) and they will provide strategic direction; monitor actual delivery of the project outputs and activities against the plan; advise on risk mitigation strategy; identify lessons learned to develop best practices and advise on methods for disseminating information for roll-out of tested approaches. They will discuss reports on implementation challenges and propose solutions.

Policy Impact

The briquetting infrastructures to be constructed through this project has been identified by local communities as the most essential for development and employment opportunities for youths and young women. Routine maintenance and repair of the infrastructure will be planned for and paid for from the income that the project will generate. it is hoped that this model will generate enough discussions at the Ward and Constituency levels t capture the interest of the Councilor and Parliamentarian to be able to design policies and present in the House of Parliament

Gender Focus

The main target groups of the project are women and other vulnerable groups including youths and PWDs in the project area. Specific actions will be undertaken to include female-headed households, young women and young men. These direct beneficiaries will be identified based on vulnerability criteria, collectively identified and agreed upon during participatory workshops in each community to be organized with community leaders, and councilors and traditional authorities. Additional criteria (e.g., physical ability) will be jointly established for the job creation activity and entrepreneurships skills development

Capacity - Building Component

The organization has adequate and qualified staff to undertake the project. In the Past, This Organization has undertaken the Following: - Tree Planting in the Mountain Communities of Western Rural District - COVID 19 Sensitization and Distribution of Hygiene Materials (Veronica Buckets, Hand Sanitizers, Soap etc.) in the Grafton Amputee Camp - Cleaning of drainages and gutters during National Cleaning days - Awareness raising on the impact of tree cutting and health hazards related to charcoal burning and harvesting - Beautification and Landscaping

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The results of this project shall be document and shared with the beneficiary community, Western Area stakeholders and the Donors. Specifically, the direct beneficiaries will be engaged based on their willingness and commitment to discuss the project results through radio discussion programmes, community dialogue sessions and experience sharing workshop. By the means of initial and regular consultations with local stakeholders, authorities and groups, as well as by preventive and protective actions, the project will seek to explain the social and environmental impacts for acceptability and scalability.

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Indicators

Biophysical

Tonnes of CO2 decreased or avoided by energy efficient and renewable energy technologies or applying environmentally sustainable transport practices introduced by SGP Project 24200

Empowerment

Number of indigenous people participated/involved in SGP project 250

Livehood

Number of individuals (gender diaggregated) who have benefited* from SGP project 250

Biophysical

Reduction in the amount released into the environment or elimination of POPs through the SGP Grams/year of Hexachlorobenzene (HCB - C6H6) eliminated or release into the environment prevented 60000

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