In an effort to check the devastating effect of global warming, a Bauchi
based NGO has introduced friendly cooking stoves to about 400 women in
Lafia-Lamurde LGA in Adamawa state.
The Development Exchange Centre(DEC) with headquarter in the Bauchi state
capital through its programme manager in charge of Water Sanitation and
Hygiene WASH, Lewis Abwadab said the project was also initiated to curtail
increasing rate of tree felling which is responsible for desertification.
Demonstrating the use of the new innovation, Mr Abwadab said what the
rural women required for effective cooking include: a piece of firewood
and sawdust or sugarcane dust, saying this will help to promote
environmental sustainability.
He expressed worry over excessive use of firewood by households, noting
that this was responsible for cancer of the lungs, eye ailment and other
fire related disasters particularly in the rural areas.
The DEC WASH programme manager advised the women of Lafia-Lamurdi to
educate their colleagues in the surrounding communities like Mansurmi and
Kupte about the friendly cooking stoves which will serve as alternative
source of energy.
“The new local technology will save cost, regulate tree felling, encourage
afforestation and help in recycling saw dust and sugarcane dust’’ says
Lewis Abwadab.
In his remark, the district head of Lafia in Lafia-Lamurde LGA of Adamawa
State, Chief Clement Minakaro urged women in the community to key into the
new project in order to protect the environment already devastated by
activities of firewood sellers and users.
Chief Minakaro while commending DEC management for its people-oriented
rural based programs in Lafia district, assured that his chiefdom would
partner Savanah sugar company management with a view to sourcing for
sugarcane dust that was in abundance in the area for ease of use by
households.
Women who thronged the venue where the use of the friendly cooking stove
was demonstrated, believed that time often wasted in the bush to source
for firewood or buy the products would be drastically reduced by about
fifty to seventy percent (50% to 70%) daily.