Environmental research

The project will raise awareness on the impact of continued deforestation on the sustainability of the environment in the target communities - Buguma (Asari-Toru LGA), and Tombia (Degema LGA). People in these communities live around river banks and swamps, with no access to affordable, modern sources of energy. They have continued to destroy the natural mangrove for fire wood and use combustible kerosene for their lanterns (that has caused a number of fatal accidents in the past). The project will focus on awareness campaign and training of marginalized women and children on the assembly, use, and maintenance of Solar Lanterns and energy-saving Cooking Stoves . 300 Solar lanterns and 500 energy-saving cooking stoves would be sourced from the ICMSE-Nigeria (The International Centre for Micro Finance and Social Enterprises) programme that is being housed by RSSDA. RSSDA and ICMSE have a high level MOU that has allowed ICMSE International to establish an office in Rivers State. ICMSE originated in Bangladesh, where it has acquired significant experience and techniques in the use of low-cost alternative technologies for rural households. The materials to be sourced for this project and the experience would be provided by ICMSE international through its branch in Port Harcourt. ICMSE-International as producers of the lanterns and cooking stove offers 2 years guarantee on physical damage. This assures durability. To ensure sustainability, continuous supply and purchase will be done through the small and medium enterprise scheme (SME) already established by RSSDA and ICMSE-Nigeria in the target community. The SME scheme of ICMSE-Nigeria enables the most indigent marginalized women to procure solar lanterns and cooking stoves through a repayment method tied around local Okwu-Oso age-groups in the community. Okwu-Oso (meaning savings group) is a women peer-group, where members make fixed contributions to a common pot, and this fund is loaned to contributing members (one-at a time) to invest in activities that helps the beneficiary household. The interest rates on the loan are usually very small and easily repayable by the borrower. Thus, 106 families (53 per community) will benefit directly, while another 5,000 people will benefit through participation in the Okwu-Oso scheme . To guarantee sustainability, 6 local artisans (3 in Buguma and 3 in Tombia) will be specifically identified and trained in detailed fabrication, assembly and technical repair of the solar lanterns and cooking stoves. The impact of peer-pressure encourages loan repayment among members of the Okwo-Oso. As part of their contribution, the community would be educated on the ecological and environment value of forest protection. Village chiefs, traditional leaders and leaders of faith would facilitate the protection of community protected areas. Management plan for the designated reserved areas would be developed in collaboration with the target communities. The adoption of solar lanterns and energy saving cooking stoves will make the families shift towards more sustainable and renewable energy sources instead of burning fossil fuel and destroying the local mangrove.

Nigeria