On Saturday 20 March 2016, BOOST Enactus Bindura travelled to Madziva rural community, 40 kilometres from Bindura town on a project site visit. The team is working with the community to improve its livelihood through innovation.
By Arthur Kariyamba
A group of farmers teamed up to find sustainable ways of providing energy for domestic use in this community. This was out of a realization that the farmers could not afford to buy a scotch cart of firewood every month. At the same time they were being disheartened by the rampant destruction of rain forests a practice which for the first time reared its ugly effects on community through the excruciating heatwave which blazed in Madziwa and other places in Zimbabwe.
With education on climate change filtering through the community, the farmers took heed and decided to join the rest of the world in a drive meant to ‘regreen’ the world with a focus on their community and also for the betterment of its scenic view .
The farmers in partnership with Bindura University of Science Education are making an Elsa stove. This stove uses biomass from materials such as cobs and maize stalks as fuel. The stove does not emit carbon monoxide and other harmful toxins which are associated with the open kitchen fire which have negative externalities and hazardous to people especially women and children. The stove is smokeless and does not require a lot of material to construct and very user friendly too. It produces a lot of heat enabling one to prepare meals fast saving on time and energy.
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The farmers testified how the introduction of the stove has changed their lives in that they no longer spend time gathering firewood instead they focus more on productive work.After burning the biomass a pavement for the production of a black substance called char is made.
The farmers process the char into biochar which is used as fertilizer. The farmers who practice conservation agriculture are full of praise for this natural fertilizer whose effect is clearly seen in the quality of crops where the product was applied compared to where artificial fertilizers were used. It is said that the char can last for up to 10 years in the soil making it a sustainable form of fertilizer.
However, for this innovative project to yield maximum results, there is need to address underlying challenges the farmers are facing. Firstly, the farmers are in need of partners to support the stove manufacturing project and exposure so as to swiftly spread the information about this stove to every corner of the country. Currently they face challenges of metal sheets and tools. The basic tools they need are chisels, metal scissors and hammers. They also need support to exhibit their products at various national fora.
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This a good project which has the capacity of impacting the livelihood of the people of Madziwa community. Besides improving the quality of life and standard of living for the affected people it also reverses the effects of climate change through halting deforestation and use of artificial fertilizers thus contributing towards the realization of the UN sustainable development goals.
BOOST/Enactus is an acronym which stands for ‘Building Opportunities on Student Talent’ and ENACTUS means ‘entrepreneurial action by us’. BOOST teams are found in about 11 Universities in Zimbabwe and more than 152 countries of the world. The BOOST fellows as they are known work with marginalized communities in Zimbabwe to change livelihoods. The fellows achieve remarkable results through the national BOOST Office, institutional support as well as civil society and the business world. The organization ensures students are fully prepared to take up challenging leadership positions once they graduate.
Arthur Kariyamba is a Part 1.2 student at Bindura University of Science Education
