TANGA: Residents of Msomera and Mkababu villages in Handeni District, Tanga Region testimonies of changing to clean energy use as championed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s campaign drive is gaining grounds and a tip of the iceberg of how Tanzanians are embracing it right into the grassroots.
Designed as a roadmap as the country targets 80 percent of the population to use clean cooking energy by 2034, they have expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness of the campaign to replace the long-standing reliance on firewood and charcoal.
According to the citizens, since the start of the campaign three months ago in the area, the residents, particularly women, have focused more on the use of gas, citing several challenges, including environmental and health issues, stemming from their traditional use of charcoal and firewood as energy sources for cooking.
Speaking during a visit by leaders from Handeni District who were assessing the use of clean energy in the area, the women commended the efforts of President Samia in launching the campaign, saying that despite its newness, it has already shown a considerable degree of success due to the positive response from the citizens.
“For example, this is the third month since I started using gas, and I have asked myself many questions and blamed myself for why I delayed to start using gas for domestic cooking. Truly, I have gained a lot of benefits,” said Teresia Simon, one of the residents of Msomera Village and a member of the Maasai community.
These women are among 1,500 residents who benefited from gas cylinders from the Taifa Gas Company, in a collaboration with a programme between the company and the government through the Ministry of Energy. Through the distribution of 10,000 gas cylinders, the initiative has reached over 1,500 residents, providing them with a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional fuel sources.
Ms. Mariam Khatib from Chang’ombe Ward said that contrary to her expectations, the gas energy has given her a new lease on life, as she can now cook her food quickly, especially when preparing food for her children to go to school.
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“I no longer have the problem of continuing to struggle with firewood when I have to prepare food for my children to eat and go to school. The kind of energy has given me a lot of relief. Also, I have made sure that when it runs out, I refill it immediately because I have discovered that it is an energy that saves time and many things at home and allows me to do other work,” said Mariam Khatib.
The distribution of Taifa Gas cylinders, which took place in May this year, was aimed at reaching out to villagers who had not yet embraced the use of gas. The Taifa Gas Company, in realizing this, was able to open 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 those in need.
The company’s Program Manager, Ms. Angellah Bhoke, who also heads the Public Relations Department said that the opportunities to open shops and gas filling stations in the programme were offered to some of the residents in the villages so that they too could benefit from the business opportunities through the initiative.
“Whenever we distribute cylinders to the public, we must also open shops or filling stations to make it easier for citizens when they need to refill. Therefore, we also provide business opportunities for residents to own gas distribution shops or stations as their own businesses. This also helps to uplift the lives of Tanzanians,” said Ms. Bhoke.
Since the launch of the campaign to replace firewood-carrying burden among women in the country led by President Samia, many clean energy stakeholders have stepped up to support the campaign. For example, Taifa Gas has contributed over 30,000 cylinders equivalent to 2bn/- in support of the campaign.
“We continue to work with various leaders in the country, including Ministers, Members of Parliament, Regional and District Commissioners, and different institutions, to popularise this campaign. We are pleased that in supporting this campaign, we have been able to reach every region in our country,” said Bhoke.
On their part, leaders in Handeni District have commended the campaign by President Samia, promising to continue advocating for it until all the district’s residents use clean energy.
“We are confident that the arrival of gas energy in Handeni is a good start for us, and we will not go back. I have ordered the reduction of permits for cutting wood used to make charcoal, because now our main goal is to reduce the use of firewood and charcoal in our district. I commend Taifa Gas for this partnership that has favored us, the residents of Handeni,” said the Handeni District Commissioner, Albert Msando.
According to national statistics, approximately 33,000 Tanzanians lose their lives every year due to the effects of related firewood and charcoal use. 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.