1,500 Handeni residents benefit from clean cooking campaign
Ms. Maria Lekipa Laitayok, a resident of Mkababu Village in Handeni District, Tanga Region, preparing food using clean cooking energy.
What you need to know:
- Since the launch of the campaign, Taifa Gas has contributed over 30,000 cylinders, equivalent to Sh2 billion in support of the campaign
Handeni. Some 1,500 residents of Handeni district have so far benefited from a clean cooking campaign which involved the issuance of free gas cylinders, in efforts to reduce the reliance on firewood and charcoal.
In May this year, Taifa Gas Company donated 10,000 cylinders to the government as support for the country-wide campaign and 1,500 of them were delivered to Handeni residents.
Speaking about the initiative, the villagers of Msomera and Mkababu said they welcomed the development.
"I now prepare food quickly for my children to eat and go to school,” said Ms Mariam Khatib.
Ms. Teresia Simon, a resident of Msomela Village in Handeni District, Tanga Region, , preparing food using clean cooking energy.
Taifa Gas Company has opened gas filling stations in the villages of Msomera and Mkababu, as well as a main store in Handeni town, to facilitate the availability of gas for refilling.
The company’s program manager Ms Angellah Bhoke, said that the opportunities to open shops and gas filling stations were offered to some of the residents of the mentioned villages so that they too could benefit from the business opportunities.
"Whenever we distribute cylinders to the public, we must also open shops or filling stations to make it easier for citizens to refill. We also provide business opportunities for residents to own gas distribution shops or stations as their own businesses," she said.
Since the launch of the campaign, Taifa Gas has contributed over 30,000 cylinders, equivalent to Sh2 billion in support of the campaign, she added.
Handeni District Commissioner, Albert Msando, said had ordered the reduction of permits for cutting down wood for charcoal.
"Our main goal is to reduce the use of firewood and charcoal in our district,” he said.
According to national statistics, approximately 33,000 Tanzanians lose their lives each year due to the effects of using firewood and charcoal. Additionally, the country loses about 400,000 hectares of forests annually due to charcoal and firewood uses.
The statistics is the reason behind the nationwide campaign for the use of clean energy as launched by the government.
