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This project is part of D9211 Rotary Mission Green project that aims at restoring the environment while improving people's livelihoods. It addresses the area of Renewable Energy Technologies. The plan is for the project to be executed by multiple clubs with the RC of Kampala Ssese Islands as the lead club. The project will take place in all regions of Uganda, but specifically in institutions that use a lot of wood fuel for cooking:-
a. 110 schools with students population of 800 plus
b. 10 prison institutions in Kampala and its environs
The project will be completed in 2 years (2018 - 2020)
Background and Project justification
In Uganda, close to 100% of rural households and over 90% of urban dwellers depend solely on biomass energy (particularly wood and charcoal) as a source of fuel for their daily cooking. Wood use is predominantly through traditional three-stone fires. These open-stove fires burn wood inefficiently (efficiency is below 15%) as most of the heat is lost to the atmosphere. This is a waste of valuable resources both in terms of forest resources, as well as the high cost of buying wood fuel.
Currently, Uganda has over 50,000 schools and 253 prison units. These institutions are some of the biggest firewood consumers in the country. Sadly, many of them still use the inefficient cooking methods that consume huge volumes of firewood; putting unsustainable pressure on the country's forest cover, leading to massive deforestation. On average, a school of 1,000 students uses 10 trucks (7 tons) of firewood every term (30 trucks annually). With over 6,000 secondary schools in the country, the firewood consumption by secondary schools alone is 180,000 trucks (126,000 tons) per year. Presently, Uganda has 45 universities each having an average resident population of 4,000. At the same consumption rate of 7 trucks for 1,000 students, each university uses 28 trucks of firewood per semester i.e. 56 trucks (392 tons) per year. Hence, the 45 universities use 17,640 tons of firewood annually. The estimates for prisons and other higher institutions of learning are almost in the same range with universities. To make matters worse, the rate at which trees are being cut down is greater than the rate trees are being planted.
According to recent statistics from FAO, Uganda loses approximately 2.4% of its forest cover annually; the use of firewood being one of the major causes. The continued use of firewood and charcoal to cook has seen the country's forest cover decline from 5m hectares in 1990 to below 3m hectares today, and according to experts, if allowed to continue, this practice will have far-reaching effects on soil, food security and health of many Ugandans. The growing population and the increasing cost of cleaner alternatives like solar, LPG and electricity only compound the problem.
The increasing demand for firewood has led to an escalation in firewood prices; and schools and prisons now spend a lot of money on cooking. On average, a school or prison with a population of 1,000 spends UGX 6,000,000 (US$ 2,550) quarterly on firewood alone. Although there are initiatives by the Government, donor agencies and the private sector to increase acceptance and usage of improved cook stoves in the country, their uptake is still very low (around 9%). Slow uptake is mainly due to the inability of schools and prisons to raise the high upfront cost required to install improved cook stoves. An improved institutional cook stove with two-pot supports costs UGX 7,000,000 (US$ 2,000). Whereas manufacturers need payment upfront in order to install these stoves, schools on the other hand receive payments from students in tranches over three school terms in a year. Prisons likewise grapple with inadequate budget allocations from Government. These institutions are therefore left with no alternative but to use the low-cost but inefficient 3-stone fires despite their high firewood wastage and high emission rates.
A recent research by the Centre for Research in Energy and Energy Conservation reveals that exposure to cook smoke from solid fuels contributes to 13,000 premature deaths every year in Uganda. After malaria and HIV/AIDS, this is Uganda's third highest killer, accounting for over 7 percent of deaths, mostly women and children. Health problems commonly associated with traditional cooking technologies include eye infections, respiratory diseases, chest problems and burns. Besides, research has shown that smoke from cooking fires has become an important cause of greenhouse gases which cause global warming.
Additionally, most schools and prisons grapple with lack of or inadequate availability and access to safe water; and WASH facilities, particularly those related to the kitchen. Although Uganda developed a school WASH strategic plan in 2006, its implementation remains weak due to limited funding. There is no national budget allocation for WASH in schools, save for isolated funding for sanitation, especially the school facility grant that goes towards construction of latrines. Little effort has been put into kitchen sanitation and personal hygiene. Schools, particularly those in rural areas, often completely lack kitchen WASH, rainwater harvesting and hand washing facilities; and where such facilities do exist they are often inadequate in both quality and quantity. Moreover, the inadequate WASH situation in schools has been exacerbated by the implementation of Universal Primary and Education policies which entitles all school age children to free education, causing the number of students in schools to swell.
Firewood is still and will be for a long time to go the major means of energy supply for cooking purposes for schools and prisons in Uganda. Sustainable management of the natural resources by lowering substantially the firewood consumption by means of efficient cook stoves, training and sensitization on energy conservation, as well as re-planting, are mandatory.
The project therefore aims to improve access to and affordability of energy efficient stoves by schools and prisons in Uganda. Improving access to and affordability of clean energy technologies will be a cost-effective way to reduce the strain on the national forest cover, to reduce the increasing cost of purchasing the wood fuel needed for cooking, to contribute towards reducing health problems commonly associated with traditional cooking technologies, to reduce emission of greenhouse gases as well as to strengthen local businesses through generating employment and income. The WASH component of the project aims at improving kitchen sanitation; improving availability of and access to clean water; and promoting personal and general hygiene. The project will also introduce tree planting around the perimeter of the schools' property and/or compounds as a way to provide yet another sustainable fuel source and to improve nutrition.
Project Goal
The goal of this improved cook stove project is to disseminate and install more efficient, energy-saving cook stoves that will help alleviate pressure on wood resources, reduce cash outlays necessary to purchase fuel wood, and contribute towards reducing health problems.
Project Objectives
a. To provide 110 schools and 10 prisons in the country with energy efficient cook stoves
b. To provide technical training and skills development to at least 50 prison warders (and through them, prisoners) in the making, installation and maintenance of energy efficient cook stoves
c. To improve kitchen sanitation and hygiene; and promote personal and general hygiene in at least 60 schools
d. To introduce tree planting around the perimeter of schools' property and/or compounds in at least 50 schools
Project beneficiaries (both direct and indirect) will include:-
a. 110 schools and 10 prisons through cost savings on wood fuels
b. Cooks as they will be operating in a cleaner and healthier environment.
c. Uganda Prisons Service through training and skilling of warders and prisoners in the making, installation and maintenance of energy efficient technologies
d. School children through improved personal and general hygiene
e. Parents through a healthier, safer and a more conducive learning environment for their children
f. Local businesses through generating employment and income
g. Ministry of Forestry and Environment through diminished deforestation and increased afforestation by schools
h. All Ugandans through reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
Project Activities
The project will have four main components:-
a. Energy efficient cook stove installation/rehabilitation. The project will install and rehabilitate fixed institutional cook stoves certified by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development of 100-300 litre capacity in 110 schools throughout the country and 10 prisons in Kampala. The project will also train and sensitize beneficiary institutions on best stove use and maintenance practices; and promote energy conservation in these institutions.
b. Technical training and skills development. The project will train a group of 50 prison warders at Luzira prisons in Kampala in the making, installation and maintenance of energy efficient cook stoves. The trained warders will in turn train prisoners and roll out and replicate the project to all prison institutions in the country.
c. Provision/improvement of WASH facilities; and promotion of personal and general hygiene in schools. The WASH component of the project will improve and rehabilitate kitchen and rainwater harvesting facilities. Simple hand washing facilities will also be provided; and the students and staff sensitized on personal and general hygiene.
d. Tree planting around the perimeter of the schools' property and/or compounds.
Expected Results
a. Mitigation of deforestation. Reduction in demand for firewood by the beneficiary institutions will lower the destruction of forests and environmental degradation. Besides, the project has a component of afforestation through planting of trees around the schools' property boundaries and/or compounds.
b. Reduction in energy expenditures. The beneficiary institutions will accrue remarkable savings (of up to 60%) due to massive reductions in the amount of wood fuel needed to cook meals.
c. Reduction in health problems. Improved cook stoves will reduce the negative health problems due to indoor air pollution caused by smoke.
d. Increased awareness of energy conservation, global warming and greenhouse gas emission by schools and prisons.
e. Capacity building in the production, installation and maintenance/service of energy saving stoves in the Uganda Prisons Services.
f. Increase in incomes. The project will contribute towards strengthening local businesses through generating employment and incomes.
g. Reduction in emission of greenhouse gases which cause global warming.
h. Improved availability of and access to safe water.
I. Improved kitchen sanitation and hygiene; as well as increased personal and general hygiene.
j. Improved nutrition in schools (that will plant fruit trees
Project Implementation
The project will be implemented by 20 Rotary Clubs in Uganda, with RC Kampala Ssese Islands as the lead Club. Each participating club will contribute US $2,000 as seed money towards the grant. The Clubs will also be responsible for identifying beneficiary schools/prisons in their localities, working with recipient institutions to identify simple WASH facilities/activities to be supported, overseeing the installation of the cook stoves and WASH facilities, and working with the schools /prisons to identify the types, quantity and cost of tree seedlings needed. Participating Rotary Clubs will sign MOUs with the beneficiary institutions detailing the terms of cooperation between the two parties; and will compile quarterly reports on the use and state of the supplied cook stoves, the WASH facilities and planted trees. A standard MOU will be developed RC Kampala Ssese Islands. To minimize lapses in stewardship, procurement of project materials and contractors will be done centrally by RC Kampala Ssese Islands.
The beneficiary institutions will be required to provide a written commitment to contribute 40 percent of the cost of construction of the cook stoves; to make available/construct an appropriate kitchen, to provide proof that it is catering for not less than 800 pupils and staff, to undertake to operate the stoves as shall be recommended and to carry out regular maintenance; and to avail staff and students/warders to participate in the project's training and sensitization programmes. To guarantee financial feasibility, the project will provide the cook stoves to the institutions upfront, and the schools and prisons will pay per term/quarter over 2 years. The funds recovered from schools and prisons will be used to support more schools to install energy saving cook stoves. Additionally, each institution will be required to set aside a maintenance budget for the cook stoves and WASH facilities. Tree planting will be promoted mainly in schools with Rotaract and Interact Clubs. Tree planting and maintenance will be the responsibility of these Clubs.
Sustainability Plan
To ensure the project benefits will be maintained after the grant funding ends, the project has in place the following strategies:-
Through cook stove cost-sharing, and the recipient institutions providing/meeting the cost of constructing the kitchens, local ownership will be promoted. Additionally, the project will use local suppliers and vendors certified by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to manufacture, install and maintain the cook stoves. Local materials mainly clay bricks and mortar will be used to construct the surrounding stove walls. Use of standard parts in design and manufacture will make maintenance easy and sustainable. Furthermore, beneficiary institutions will set aside a maintenance budget, and will be trained and sensitized in operation and maintenance of cook stoves so that they can maintain them even after the project's duration. In schools where Interact or Rotaract Clubs exist, the tree planting and maintenance will form part of their Club activities.
Technical feasibility will be guaranteed by technical training and skilling of 50 prison warders from Luzira prisons in Kampala in the design, production, installation and maintenance of energy saving stoves. The trained warders will in turn train prisoners and roll out and replicate the project to all prison institutions in the country. Local companies certified by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development will undertake the necessary training and skilling.
To guarantee financial feasibility, the project will provide the institutional cook stoves upfront, and the institutions will pay per term/quarter, mainly using savings accrued on buying firewood.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring of project activities will be done by participating Rotary Clubs under direction of their Club Presidents. Clubs will be required to visit the beneficiary institutions at least once a quarter. Clubs will submit quarterly reports using a standard format to be developed by the lead club. Besides, the RC of Kampala Ssese Islands as the principal club will make periodic monitoring visits to the recipient institutions. US$2,500 has been set aside in the budget to facilitate this activity.
Budget Estimates
1. Cook stove purchase/installation in beneficiary institutions US$ 144,000
2. Training, sensitization and public awareness sessions US$ 20,000
3. Technical training and skills development for prison warders US$ 5,000
4. Provision/improvement of kitchen WASH/hand washing facilities US$ 40,000
5. Provision/repair of rainwater harvesting facilities US$ 45,000
6. Support to tree planting in schools (tree seedlings + sensitization) US$ 18,000
7. ICT materials US$ 2,000
8. M&E US$ 2,500
Total US$ 276,500
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