Bio-fuel
Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from a major energy deficit, millions of people suffer from lack of access to electricity and other clean energy alternatives. The heavy reliance on wood means that valuable trees are being cut down to provide fuel for households. This is not sustainable and has a negative impact on the biodiversity of the area. Biodegesters that turn waste material into biogas among other benefits reduces greenhouse carbon emissions, tangible development benefits for local communities and preservation of valuable flora to sustain the biodivesity of the area in question. The resulting manure from the processing of bio-waste will be used to fertilise gardens and fields.
This solution will limit reliance on scarce wood resources, aid low income household by providing clean fuel and help lower greenhouse gases emissions.
Access to energy resources is a huge challenge in Africa, according to Ci-Dev over four million people prematurely die annually due to indoor pollution when wood resources are burned for cooking and heating purposes. Bio-fuel aims to reeduce the reliance on wood for heating and cooking purposes and provide biodegesters and biogas alternatives to disadvantaged memmbers of the community.
Bio-fuel is a clean and an alternative energy source that uses manure and human waste to provide biogas to disadvantaged households, the solution will use manure from livestock and human waste, the resulting organic slurry will be used as a fertiliser. The solution will use SimGas' technology to provide clean fuel and improve the income position of low income households. It will also reduce the need to cut down trees for fuel.
Most people in rural households have no access to reliable sources of income and as a result they rely on wood for heating and cooking. The households mostly consists of subsistence farmers who can be greatly aided by the bio-fuel resulting from turning animal manure or human waste into biogas and nutrient rich slurry that will be turned into fertiliser. As a result of this initiative they will be able to implement organic farming methods, presevartion of scarce wood resources and significantly improve their income state.
- Create scalable economic opportunities for local communities, including fishing, timber, tourism, and regenerative agriculture, that are aligned with thriving and biodiverse ecosystems
This community relies heavily on wood resources that in this case are pine trees that they use for heating and cooking purposes. Apart from this not being sustainable it taxes the scarce resource of trees that they have to cut down to provide fuel for their households. Also, most people in this area have no access to jobs or sustainable income generation ideas.
The solution will help preserve the few trees they have and give them a reliable, clean and sustainable energy sources.
- Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model based on that idea.
Most biodigestes are difficult and expensive to build for low income households as a results most people have not thought of this alternative as a clean energy source. The plan is to get organisations like the Carbon Intiative for Development and SimGas to show people that this can be a good idea and show communities that they're ways of earning money, providing clean and sustainable energy, reduce carbon emissions and reduce the reliance on using trees and other valuable resources for heating.
- A new business model or process that relies on technology to be successful
This solution is very flexible the biodigesters can also be used to address the problem of off-grid household by generating electricity apart from biogas and fertilizer. It's a game changer in the management of waste and preservation of natural resources. My hope is that it will affect nationwide policies on sustainable energy sources.
- Biotechnology / Bioengineering
- Women & Girls
- Elderly
- Rural
- Low-Income
- Lesotho
- 1. No Poverty
- 2. Zero Hunger
- 3. Good Health and Well-being
- 6. Clean Water and Sanitation
- 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
- 12. Responsible Consumption and Production
- Lesotho
- Eswatini
Our aim is to provide close to 200 people in the community of Pela-Tsoeu with this solution. In a year the aim is to install biodigesters for atleast a thousand people in rural Lesotho. As the procedure is refined we aim to serve close to over a hundred thousand people in the years afterwards. This is a nationwide cry to alleviate Basotho from the scourge of poverty while protecting biodiversity of the areas they reside in.
The progress will be measured by the improved income generation prospects of households within the pilot focus group. Their improvement in living conditions and their quality of life.
- Not registered as any organization
A rough estimate is that five people will be employed as installors for biodesters for the duration of the pilot phase of the project. These people will be provided training by SimGas and other local biodigester manufactures.
My team has an extensive experience in construction and building technologies.
The aim is to work in harmony with people of different skill sets and capabilities to ensure the project is a success. Regular meeting by the executive and affected community members will be held regularly.
- Individual consumers or stakeholders (B2C)
To network with other organisations that might be interested in this initiative. To raise awareness about the dangers of using trees for fuel.
- Human Capital (e.g. sourcing talent, board development, etc.)
- Business model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)
- Financial (e.g. improving accounting practices, pitching to investors)
- Monitoring & Evaluation (e.g. collecting/using data, measuring impact)
- Technology (e.g. software or hardware, web development/design, data analysis, etc.)
This project holds much interest an potential. It can be one of The National Univewrsity of Lesotho's sustainable and renewable energy projects as it aligns with their ideals.
The National University Of Lesotho will provide expertise with their sustainable and renewable energy resource department to ensure this idea benefits as much people as I have in mind.
SimGas will be a key beneficiary and valuable partner in sourcing, rearching and development of biodegesters.
The Carbon Initiative for Development (Ci-Dev) will provide support and advice on how to generate more income and streamline this project.
- Yes, I wish to apply for this prize
To an extent people who are refugees are in most cases under low income households as their destabilization might have resulted in their loss of income and they need projects like this to uphold their human dignity.
- Yes, I wish to apply for this prize
The reduction in greenhouse emissions, lowering of mortality rates due to the inherent danger of burning wood fuel indoors, improvement in income generation ideas and initiatives for lower income households and preservation of valuable ecosystems.
- Yes, I wish to apply for this prize
Most low income households are headed by women due to the death of in most cases the male breadwinners and single motherhood. As a result this will greatly improver their quality of life.
- No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
- Yes, I wish to apply for this prize
- No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
- No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
- Yes, I wish to apply for this prize
The GSR prize will be used to advance the solution by making it accessible to more people.
