Alternative Cooking Fuels and Training Programme - 2019

At present over 90% of households across all three refugee camps in the Kigoma Region of Tanzania use firewood for cooking, which is being collected from the forests within, and around, the refugee camps leading to deforestation. The burden of collecting firewood also disproportionately affects women and children, who have to travel considerable distances from their homes in order to provide the necessary fuel for cooking, exposing themselves to increased risks of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). It is from these concerns that UNHCR and partners in Kigoma Region embarked on a pilot programme to provide the PoCs with alternative cooking energy as well as launching energy saving initiatives in Nyarugusu, Nduta and Mtendeli Refugee Camps. DRC, GNTZ, REDESO, CEMDO and UNHCR were involved in the implementation of this programme which had three main components, namely, Charcoal Briquettes and LPG Comparative analysis at Nduta; manufacturing of charcoal briquettes at Nyarugusu; and community-based training on energy saving practices and SGBV awareness raising in Nduta, Mtendeli and Nyarugusu camps.