Courage Dutiro
About 30 households in Masvingo district’s Gororo village are set to benefit from the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Climate Adaptation Water and Energy Programme (CAWEP) biogas initiative.
In a press release by the UNDP Zimbabwe communications team leader Anesu Freddy, 30 households in Gororo village in Masvingo District are among the first 150 beneficiaries of the UNDP’s implementation of the sustainable cooking energy initiative in Zimbabwe.
“A total of 150 biogas digesters will be installed, benefiting 90 households in Hakwata, 30 in Gororo, Masvingo district, and 30 in Wanezi, Insiza District. This monumental initiative will go a long way in ensuring that those farthest from essential services are not left in the dark,”
“Construction of the initial set of digesters in Hakwata (Chipinge district) is already underway, with completion expected by September 2023,” said Freddy in a press release.
In the press release, Freddy also said, the initiative of taking sustainable cooking energy to rural communities will not only lessen the task of gathering firewood among the communities but it also has various environmental benefits.
“When finalized, the project is expected to bring transformation to the lives of the largely elderly population. Clean cooking energy will replace the arduous task of gathering firewood and providing a safer and more sustainable alternative. In addition to the numerous environmental benefits, the project will also empower 40 local builders,” said Freddy.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 7 (SDGs) promotes access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, that contribute to climate change mitigation.
In Zimbabwe, fire wood is the source of cooking energy in rural areas and fetching firewood is regarded mainly as a female household duty.
