Biogas a game changer for women

Judith Phiri, Business Reporter 

WOMEN farmers in Matabeleland North province have resorted to biogas  for their cooking and lighting energy needs, a move which has effectively reduced the effects of deforestation. 

Biogas is a possible and alternative form of energy that can substitute traditional fuels like firewood and dried cow dung and is suitable for rural household cooking, heating and lighting. The biogas digester is one of the renewable energy options that has been adopted at farm level to provide alternative energy options to firewood and electricity while managing the greenhouse gases from livestock farming. 

Over the years this technology has slowly gained prominence in various communities in Zimbabwe as a means of providing an alternative power source. In an interview, Ms Sibusisiwe Ndebele from Mathambo village, Ward 23 of Lupane District said ever since she started using the biogas digester, her life has changed. 

“Most rural dwellers depend on firewood as source of energy, however, gathering of firewood is time consuming.” The concept of biogas is one of the green economic growth strategies being promoted under the Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP)’s Beef Enterprise Strengthening and Transformation (BEST) project. 

“The biogas energy has helped my family and l to prepare our food instantly, while l can now dedicate much of my time in weaving and can continue even at night with a clear source of lightning,” said Ms  Ndebele. 

She said she was now generating more income from weaving baskets for a day to day living as she no longer spent much of her time looking for firewood. As a host female lead farmer for the BEST project in Lupane District and with the biogas digester sited in her homestead, Ms Ndebele is working with a group of 12 farmers in the area. 

“I have a herd of 18 cattle, hence we never run out of cow dung for the digester. Currently, the dung from the digester is used for a vegetable gardening. The dung will also be used for the fodder garden established through the BEST project, while farmers in Mathambo will access planting materials from the fodder garden.” 

Ms Ndebele said following a demonstration at her homestead, two other farmers and one local community organisation, focusing on women, indicated their desire to construct their own biogas digesters. She said they were gathering the resources for the construction, while the six cubic metres digester on her homestead was constructed as a demo biogas digester at a cost of US$1 200. 

Apart from accessing smart technology, Ms Ndebele said she was engaged in fodder production. 

“As one of the pioneers on fodder production, l am mentoring six other farmers. I harvested 79 bales of velvet beans planted during the 2020/2021 farming season. Currently l am supplementing four in-calf cows and two calving cows.” 

The purpose for biogas demonstration under the BEST project is to provide green economic growth options for agriculture that can reduce deforestation for firewood and to reduce the potential emission of methane gas into the atmosphere. Methane gas is one of the greenhouse gases that contributes to global climate change. 

Mrs Sizalobuhle Dube (76) of Mazizini Village in Nyamandlovu of Umguza District, concurred with Ms Ndebele noting that at her old age and looking after her grandchildren using biogas was more efficient and effective. 

“All four of my children are in different cities due to their work hence l am currently looking after their children. They decided to come together and contribute money so that a biogas digester can be set up in my homestead. 

“With biogas l can now cook anytime without having to go and look for firewood, further I can manage to take my hypertension medication on time without failure. My grandchildren can also bath with warm water in the morning before going to school,” said Mrs Dube. 

She said each morning she uses two 20-litre buckets full of cow dung and the same ratio for water, which can produce enough gas for the day. Mrs Dube said with time she was hoping that most people in the village adopt the clean smart technology as a source of energy to preserve trees, while also biogas reduces the time spent by women fetching firewood and allows them to spend more time on other productive work.