Project Detail

Insiza Biogas Stoves and gardening project

This project involves the construction of five (different types)of biogas digesters and the distribution of 100 kits for wood fuel saving stoves in Insiza district, to the south west of Zimbabwe. The project is a climate change initiative in an area seriously depleted of tree resources due to overgrazing, exhaustion of the biotic environment and pressure on the land. The project is being integrated with environmental rehabilitation measures and a livelihood component involving gardening and dairy.

project objectives
-to reduce te rate of deforestation and desertification in Insiza district as a whole
- to reduce the burden of fetching firewood on women by providing an alternative energy supply or improved efficiency in fuel wood use
-to improve food security and income levls through vegetable production
-to reduce global warming by using biogas technology
-to have community members who are skilled and qualified to construct biogas.

project activities
-biogas digestors and wood saving stoves
-garden project
-small livestock project
-sustainable agriculture

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Insiza Biogas and Woodstoves Project

Country:

Zimbabwe

Area Of Work:

Climate Change Mitigation

Operational Phase:

Phase 1

Grant Amount:

US$ 24,596.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 116,810.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 7,410.08

Project Number:

ZIM/92/G52/028

Start Date:

12/1997

End Date:

12/2000

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

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Project Characteristics and Results

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

95% of the participants in the project are indigenous peoples whose input is paramount to that of technocrats.

Gender Focus

A deliberate effort has been made through training to make sure committees are constituted by a significant number of women. One of the six trained biogas artisans is a woman!!

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

Insiza has received funding from different sources that include CIDA, HIVOS, HIZ and Africa 2000. This has helped to scale up the programme and to broaden the impact in an integrated and holistic manner.

Capacity - Building Component

One of the most outstanding initiatives in this regard. Six members of the community were trained and are in turn training others to construct biogas digesters, a rare skill int he country. This group has now formed the nucleus and a resource for the rest of biogas initiatives in the country. The capacity to formulate, plan and implement environmentally sustainable activities has been heightened within this community.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The biogas initiatives is one of the outstanding climate change activities by a community. Already groups from elsewhere in the country are carrying out exchange visits to Insiza to learn from this activity.

Notable Community Participation

The community is participating heavily in the construction of biogas digestors and stoves following training of trainers undertaken for this purpose. Each digester is shared by up to five households who take turns to feed in the cow dung and provide general care. Families receiving the stove kits will build the units on their own with minimal supervision.

Policy Impact

The project plays a significant role in influencing policy in the area of the promotion of renewable energy sources that help in reducing tree cutting and green house gas emmissions.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

This is one of the best examples where integration of GEF concerns with livelihood issues is being achieved. A micro-intensive dairy project is planned, the dung of which will be fed into the digesters. A horticultural component is being pursued as an incentive for those participating in rehabilitating work only and not benefitting from the biogas component.

Project Results

Insiza is one of the projects that has managed to score tremendous results on the ground. The project has grown from having 5 digestors in one village that were funded under SGP to 15 digestors covering the whole ward. The funds for scaling up were sourced from CIDA.

Heifer International Zimbabwe has provided 75 to boost the dung for feeding into the digestors. Besides the dung, the community also benefits in terms of milk and this has helped to improve food security. The slurry from the outlet pipes is used in the gardens to boost the levels of production.

Insiza was also selected as one of the pilot wards for the establishment of information centres under Africa 2000 Plus. There have completed constructing the information center and re now putting the electricity. The center will help the communities to generate and store information on a variety of issues including the environment, weather patterns, HIV/AIDS, food security, sustainable agriculture and gender issues useful for sharing with other communities.

The project has really shown growth and sustainability as a result of community empowerment and the issue of strong partnerships that have helped to cover the area of co-financing and complementarity. This is one of the best practice cases under SGP useful for further scaling up and replication.

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