Project Detail

Combating Climate Change through the Promotion of Alternative Cooking Fuel such as Solar Cookers and Rice Straw Briquettes.

The primary objective of the project is to promote the adoption of alternative cooking energy sources,
using solar cookers and rice straw briquettes as a means of combating indiscriminate cutting down of
trees for firewood/charcoal as well as harnessing solar radiation for domestic use. This project will
demonstrate that solar energy can be used for domestic uses and therefore provide alternatives to the conventional sources of domestic energy which are not only polluting but contribute to environmental degradation. Furthermore, the project aims to reduce indoor air pollution from firewood smoke as well as its associated harmful effects on the health of the individuals in the community. At the pilot phase experimental solar cookers will be provided to households to convince them that solar cookers can replace firewood. To ensure sustainability, key members of the community including women and youth and students will receive training on how to use locally sourced materials to fabricate solar cookers.
The project will be implemented in Peje West and Peje Bongre Chiefdoms, Kailahun district given that
100% of the population burn firewood to supply their daily needs for cooking. Even worse, 99.99% of
the population relies solely on subsistence agriculture, especially rice and oil palm farming to make ends meet. In efforts to increase yields most farmers have adopted unsustainable farming practices such as slash and burn method of cultivation which destroys flora and fauna species without respite, thus changing climate patterns uncontrollably.
When successfully implemented, this project would increase the use of solar cookers for domestic uses in targeted villages and ultimately combat land degradation and climate change. In addition, will
reforest areas that have already been cleared by planting economical fruit trees. The project also would economically empower women and youth in the community to locally fabricate solar cookers and rice straw briquette for sale in nearby towns.
Ultimately, the project will lead to job creation and income generation for the people on a sustainable
basis in the community, as well as reduce the pressure on firewood usage which will eventually lead to the preservation of current trees including those that will be planted.

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

ADVOCATE+

Country:

Sierra Leone

Area Of Work:

CapDev
Climate Change Mitigation
Land Degradation

Operational Phase:

OP7 Y3 (July 22-June 23)

Grant Amount:

US$ 20,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 1,542.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 36,763.00

Project Number:

SLE/SGP/OP7/Y3/STAR/ CC/1/11/2022/38

Start Date:

12/2022

End Date:

12/2023

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Capacity - Building Component

Advocate Plus has previous relevant experience in implementing projects focused on environmental sustainability. Advocate Plus has a successful track record in implementing this project.

Notable Community Participation

Community members have actively participated at the project planning and design phase. Engagement sessions have been held with all stakeholder groups at the conception phase of the project. Engagements with community members consisted of focus group discussions, meetings with key stakeholders and one-on-one informational interviews with the beneficiaries. Engagement sessions were undertaken in all targeted communities and efforts were made to capture the perspective of hard-to-reach groups including women, youth and individuals with disabilities. Based on feedback captured at the engagement sessions, community members are supportive of the project. Some members have recommended the scope of the project be expanded to provide solar electrification for their homes. The project team responded that electrifying homes could be considered depending on the proceeds generated from the sale of rice straw briquettes and solar cookers.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Public outreach events will be intensified including radio discussions, newspaper articles, and an online database will be established to share results and best practices. Public awareness raising will be undertaken through live radio discussion programmes with a phone-in segment, in various local languages and community meetings. It is expected that through such programmes, project outcomes, lessons learnt, success stories and case studies will be shared with the wider community.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The beneficiaries especially women, and those with disabilities will get priority in the livelihood/income generating component of the project. Primarily, women will be provided with capacity building to establish cooperatives. The income-generating potential offered by marketing the briquettes and solar cookers will empower women, youth and persons with disabilities to become economically independent. The importance of economic empowerment will be paramount during the project implementation. As the individual is able to contribute to the household income, his/her self-esteem is regained and the decision-making powers are altered. Economic empowerment is hence a prerequisite for actual equality. After the first year, revenue generated from the sale of solar cookers and rice briquette will be used to enhance project continuation. Revenue generated from the sales will be used to sustain the enterprise, expand the venture to other areas and salary for workers. More importantly, as this is a community venture, a special bank account will be established solely to fund viable community initiatives that would be of immense benefit to the entire community. For instance, funds from the ?special? account will be used to provide amenities needed by the community such as building public toilets, rehabilitating community centres, clinics etc. This account will be managed by the Project Management Committee comprising, chief, women leaders, and youth representative.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The project includes public information and awareness raising activities. In order to promote knowledge management and replication of best practices in other parts of the country and the sub region in general, public education events will be organized where ?Environmental Ambassadors? involved in the project will train other communities on lessons learnt and processes involved in fabricating rice briquettes and solar cooker using locally available materials. A handbook/guide will be developed upon completion of the project to share results and best practices in other communities and the sub-region. All staff and advisers will be encouraged to allocate some of their time to contribute to knowledge management activities. An online database will be established in order to document good practices which can be adopted by other provinces and the country. Lessons learnt including successes and challenges from the project will also be shared with other like-minded NGOs, District Council and other development partners nationally various various NGO networks. Social media will also be used to disseminate information on various environmental NGO focus groups.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

The project team will ensure that the stakeholder list is inclusive and comprises all underrepresented groups including indigenous people, women, youth, persons with disabilities and smallholder farmers. An advisory committee comprising women, youth, persons with disabilities in the community and the village chief/designate will be formed and will be responsible for actively monitoring project activities

Policy Impact

The project will be impactful at various levels. At the national level, the project will complement GoSL and international NGOs such as the UNDP plans to combat widespread deforestation exacerbated by the country?s dependence on fuelwood for domestic uses. The project will advance environmental sustainability by preventing deforestation through the reduction in the use of charcoal and fuelwood, and the reforestation approach taken by planting viable fruit trees would help restore areas that have already been cleared.

Gender Focus

The project will incorporate the empowerment of women, in particular women from socially and economically disadvantaged groups, youth as well as people living with disabilities, by accommodating their needs in order to actively participate in project implementation. The project team will ensure that there is a balanced representation of male and female community members in all aspects of the project implementation.

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Indicators

Biophysical

Number of innovations or new technologies developed / applied 2

Empowerment

Number of women participated / involved in SGP project 250

Biophysical

Hectares of degraded land rest 5000

Livehood

Number of individuals (gender diaggregated) who have benefited* from SGP project 500

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