Skill Acquisition Centre For Women and Girls In Partnership with Kaduna State University (KASU)
In the northern part of Nigeria, women are subjected to abject poverty due lack of direct access to social and economic empowerment. According to WHO, a woman empowered is a generation taken from poverty and this is one of our goals, to ensure women are enlightened and empowered in the aspect of renewable energy. To create a shift in the protracted nature of the inexposure to financial inclusion, RUWES developed a concept to break the barrier of women being partially or wholly dependent on their male counterpart or spouses for their daily living, by empowering rural women and girls in Kaduna State. Most of these women are intelligent and hardworking, however because of the lack of viable enterprises that can channel their inherent human resources into profitable use for themselves, families and the country, they tend to rely on their husbands and manly figures in their family and community. These are some of the underlying factors that cause and promote poverty, resulting in many children being denied from being enrolled in schools by their parents and also pushes many parents to forcing or subjecting their children or wards into unhealthy early marriages. Rural Women Energy Security in partnership with Kaduna State University, established a well-equipped Skill Acquisition Centre with Clean Energy facilities for women and girls. This will enable women in Kaduna State and in neighbouring states across Nigeria to learn new skills on the use of clean energy/solar bakery, production of clay pot water filtration system, detergent and soap making, training on the use of sewing machines, production alternative sources of energy from agricultural waste, and so on. By synergizing capacity enhancement with our viable business models, we have proved severally that our rural women are intelligent and resourceful if equipped with appropriate skills/tools. Also, there are over 300,000 women farmers involved in Kaduna state, which RUWES has identified and we are poised to ensure that they are patronised and reap gainful returns on their labour and investments by synergizing with all relevant stakeholders that would push this course forward. It is therefore envisaged that after completion of their training, the women will become clean energy entrepreneurs, who are capable of engaging in sustainable and environmentally friendly business ventures and thereby add value to themselves, their families and their communities at large. 20181207_100905-min 20181207_100906-min IMG_0762-min IMG_0763-min IMG_0766-min IMG_2929-min Load More End of Content.
Survey Administration for Country-Wide Improved Cookstoves and Water Filtration Distribution – The African Stove Company (TASC)
In 2021, RUWES entered into a discussion to distribute up to one million Improved Cookstoves and one million water filtration systems across 6 states in Nigeria. As a prerequisite, The African Cookstove Company (TASC) conducted a baseline study that included; a Habit Survey (which was used to determine energy access, access to finance, fuel consumption practices, and access to clean water), a Kitchen Performance Test (KPT), and a Water Boiling Test (WBT) in pre-selected locations in Nigeria’s North West and North Central Regions. The KPT procedure involved deducing cooking data from selected households to understand their cooking patterns and preferred cooking solution that will ensure a smooth transition of households from the use of dirty fuels to cleaner alternative technologies. The KPT was administered to 120 homes in five Nigerian states, and the cooking data collected was analysed. Subsequently, WBT was performed to acquire usable data on current water purification procedures, available water sources, and the cost implications of their purification process. The Habit Survey, the KPT, and WBT were conducted with a view to obtaining approval for the proposed carbon credit project. This is the project feasibility study for the planned cookstove and water filter distribution project in 1 million Nigerian households. While TASC concentrated on the technical aspects of the project, RUWES is committed to implementing it while leveraging its vast expertise and sisterhood network of over 2 million women across the country. To ensure the carbon project is successful, RUWES will provide monitoring and evaluation services by preparing documentation to be used to evaluate the qualification of the project as an emission reduction activity within the specified greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction program or standard. RUWES had previously facilitated the training of women Energy Entrepreneurs in various states, with a focus on installation procedures and after-sales maintenance and repair for clean cooking technologies and monitoring devices in households. These pre-trained women will also provide support for households and encourage the usage of clean cooking and water filtration technologies to be distributed.
LPG Intervention Project By The Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP II 2021 – 2023)
The LPG Intervention of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme Extension (NESP II); a European Union-funded project, led by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The GIZ collaborated with the Nigerian government to develop a viable market for LPG cooking solutions in rural and peri-urban areas. The LPG intervention focused on promoting and developing the market for LPG clean cooking in Nigeria. The project was implemented through its consultants: GFA Consulting Group GmbH in consortium with Rural Women Energy Security Ltd/Gte (RUWES Nigeria). The LPG intervention comprised three (3) work packages, which are the ‘Enabling Framework work package, ‘Business Development’ work package, and ‘Access to Finance’ work package. These work packages were put in place to achieve the overall objective of the intervention, which is improving the conditions for accessing LPG clean cooking solutions and accessing funding by households and institutions in Nigeria. In furtherance to the main objectives, the LPG intervention sought to understand the barriers to the widespread adoption of LPG in Nigeria. To achieve this the NESP identified access to finance for local LPG cookstoves manufacturers and households, as one of the key factors against the large-scale adoption of LPG for cooking in Nigeria. RUWES via its team of experts worked towards this regard in collaboration with other experts selected by GFA Consulting Group GmbH. To understand the status of the LPG in Abuja, RUWES facilitated a baseline study and the training of Enumerators for data collection. RUWES also contributed to the sensitization and awareness campaign executed to penetrate the rural and peri-urban markets for LPG cookstoves.
Climate Change Sensitization and Adaptation and the use of Energy-Efficient Stoves in 6 Northeastern States of Nigeria (2022 – 2023)
The Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) collaborated with the Rural Women Energy Security (RUWES) to facilitate a technical training session that took place across each of the 6 NEDC States (Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe) respectively. The overall goal of the initiative was to train women from each of the 6 States under the NEDC on climate change awareness and adaptation, and to teach them how to apply mitigation/adaptation strategies to reduce the effect of climate change. RUWES also distributed 510 cookstoves to each of the trained participants. The specific objectives of the training were: Educating women about the issue of climate change through concrete examples and thorough explanations. Facilitate the women participants’ ability to identify and implement feasible, local adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change. Educate women on the general use of energy-efficient stoves as a means of lowering household carbon footprints. DSC_8117 DSC_7939 DSC_7954 DSC_7956-Copy-Copy
Renewable Energy Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop Focused on Briquette Production, Cookstove Assembly and Usage in Collaboration with Ministry of Environment Sokoto State (2022 – 2023)
The government of Sokoto State, in collaboration with RUWES, held a train the trainers (TOT) workshop to train up to 50 women selected across the State to undergo renewable energy training focused on briquette production, cookstove assembly and usage, and climate action. This workshop focused on the use of agricultural and environmental waste for briquette fabrication in the local context, intending to discourage the continuous cutting down of trees, which leads to deforestation, as well as sensitizing participants on the health benefits of cooking with cleaner alternatives. The training also aimed to educate the participants about the economic viability of briquette production as a source of income and to link the participants to finance for large-scale production by leveraging on existing partnerships with Micro-Finance Institutions. In addition, RUWES also installed 2 industrial briquette-making machines and combustion equipment to facilitate the carbonization of agricultural wastes and environmental wastes that are locally sourced for the production of briquette. To ensure localization of the equipment, RUWES also tutored the trainers on how to locally source and build technologies for briquette production. The first phase was held to train 50 women on clean cooking, the production of briquettes, and business development in the clean cooking sector. The second phase of the training is targeted at training up to 200 Women in 2023.
RUWES-Project Surya Technology Exchange Programme
In October 2016, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s Solution Centre organised an exchange between a group of RUWES women and Project Surya to learn how rural women in Odisha, India are transitioning to clean household energy. They met with women in three villages where they saw different clean cookstove technologies, spoke to rural development organisations about different strategies to finance their own projects, and saw the impact the projects have had on people’s lives. Of particular interest to the women was how mobile technology is helping women afford clean cooking technology. In the villages of Keonjhar and Notarpali they saw how sensors connected to cookstoves transmit information via a mobile network to show how often and how long clean cookstoves are used. This helps the organisation Nexleaf Analytics quantify how much black carbon and carbon dioxide is prevented from being emitted into the atmosphere. This is then translated into ‘climate credits’, which enable women to get payments for using their stoves. RUWES and Nexleaf are now trialling a similar scheme in two villages (Mararraban-Burum and Katampe) close to the Nigerian capital, the projects in Burum and Katampke, Abuja, Nigeria are modelled after the projects in Keonjhar and Notarpali in Odisha, India, by transitioning rural Nigerian women from their traditional energy practices to clean household energy. It involves utilising mobile technology to help women to afford clean cookstoves. These clean cookstoves were distributed to beneficiary houses within the two (2) communities, and they were connected to sensors which transmit information on the frequency and duration of use of the clean cookstoves via a mobile network provider. This enables RUWES and Nexleaf Analytics quantify black carbon and carbon dioxide emission reduction. This calculation is then translated into ‘climate credits’, which enable rural Nigerian women, who are the direct users of the stoves, to get payments for using their stoves. In March 2017, a team from the CCAC visited the project sites, and the purpose of the visit was to enable the CCAC Household Energy Initiative ascertain the use and efficiency of clean cook stoves that have been widely popularised and adopted by the rural populace in Nigeria through the activities of the RUWES and Nexleaf Analytics as part of the CCAC Solution Center intervention. P1000169-1 P1000191-1 P1000192-1 P1000193-1 P1000194-1 P1000213-1 Load More End of Content.
Launch of the RUWES Kaura Namoda Partnership
In a bid to scale up access to clean energy for women in the rural Zamfara State, and with support from its development partners, a pilot of the RUWES-LGA Partnership was implemented in Kaura Namoda Local Government of the State on the 6th to 8th September, 2014, the first of its type. Day 1; Technical and Awareness Forum: Three (3) Women Business Membership Organizations (BMO) from the Local Government were selected and the members of each BMO was given awareness on technical skills of how to run a business, the use of clean energy products and benefits of shifting from the traditional energy practices. Day 2; Official Launch of the RUWES – Kaura Namoda Partnership: The RUWES Starter Kits were unveiled and each BMO was equipped with a RUWES Starter kit consisting of a motorised tricycle, eco-boxes, clean cookstoves, and solar lighting equipments. The Chairman of Kaura Namoda Local Government pledged 80% subsidy on clean energy products in actualising the project and this impacted a total of 1,990 beneficiaries through the distribution of these clean energy products. In attendance was Chairman of Kaura Namoda LGA, Chairman of Tsafe LGA, Emir of Kaura Namoda, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigerian Infrastructure Advisory Facility, and the Global Environment Facility, members of the different BMO’s and indigenes of Kaura Namoda LGA. DSC_1405-150×150 DSC_1407 DSC_1407-150×150 DSC_1407-1024×680 DSC_1411 DSC_1411-1024×680 Load More End of Content.
Launch of the RUWES Woman to Woman Campaign
The RUWES Woman to Woman Campaign was flagged off on the 13th November 2014 by the Honourable Minister of Environment – Mrs Lawrentia Laraba Mallam, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment – Mrs Rabi Jimeta and the wife of the Ambassador of the United States in Nigeria – Mrs Pamela Schmoll at the 2014 edition of the RUWES Stakeholders Workshop. The RUWES Woman to Woman Campaign is a self-help campaign that seeks to develop community-based marketers and the clean energy technology distribution chain by stimulating business and collaboration amongst women to champion and lead the green energy revolution. This skills transfer model involves training a rural woman on the basics of clean energy entrepreneurship. At the event, the semi-literate RUWES Women demonstrated proficiency in assembling and repairing clean cookstoves, skills. DSC_8666 Picture2-150×150 DSC_8749 Load More End of Content.
RUWES Stakeholders Forum
The Rural Stakeholders Forum held on the 13th November 2014 at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja. The forum, which had in attendance RUWES Advisory Board Chair, the Minister of Environment and the outgoing Permanent Secretary, was the first since the inauguration of RUWES on 10th December 2013. The focus of the workshop was to introduce RUWES to new partners; largely women drawn from the paramilitary agencies and faith based organisations. Also in attendance were development partners from Heinrich Boll Foundation, the Nigerian Infrastructure Advisory Facility, United Nations Development Programme, Winrock International. There was an exhibition and demonstration of clean energy technologies by private manufacturers and distributors such as All-Go clean fuel makers of ethanol fuel and stoves, Integra Renewable Energy Services, Roshan Global Services Limited manufacturer of Happy Energy Saving stoves and Solar force. The presence of new and existing cookstove and lighting energy producers and marketers was to allow for interactions with the end user to address issues of quality control while taking into consideration preference of users. This would ensure that the best quality clean energy products are offered to them through the RUWES Initiative. This is necessary to sustain interest, use of products, minimise complaints and thus increase the credibility of the initiative all of which are required to expand the impact of RUWES.
National Launch of the RUWES Initiative
The National Launch of the RUWES Initiative held on the 10th of December, 2013 at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja. The event was chaired by the Minister of Environment, Architect Darius Ishaku. The Honourable Minister highlighted the importance of energy in every sphere of life stating that energy which is important in meeting our most basic needs of cooking, heating and lighting has been largely ignored. The Minister said that evidence suggests that widespread deployment of clean cookstoves and solar lighting systems under the RUWES Initiative with energy and combustion efficiency which are improvements over traditional dirty fuel sources could also potentially help mitigate adverse effects on human health, energy poverty, time, income savings and climate consequences. The RUWES State Coordinators, individuals from FBOs, NGOs and CBOs who are the fore-runners of the RUWES Initiative in their respective states were decorated by the Honourable Minister of Environment, the Resident Coordinator UNDP, Mr. Daouda Toure and the members of the RUWES Advisory Board. Each State Coordinator received a RUWES branded Tricycle for ease of marketing their products. The contents of the tricycle included clean energy, numerous technologies for cooking, lighting and solar barbing kits. The women were enjoined to be diligent and steadfast in the sale of the products and reminded that beyond business; they are advocates for change and are expected to preach to their fellow women to change their energy practices.