Women in Malawi's Mangochi District Produce Briquettes for Sustainable Cooking Fuel

Malawi-A group of women located in the area of Senior–Chief Nankumba in Monkey Bay, Mangochi district has ventured into sustainable briquette production as an alternative energy source for household cooking, writes Maureen Kawerama.

This is meant to contain charcoal and fuelwood, which are forms of biomass consumption that are destructive to the environment.

" When we started our group in 2018, we were just planting trees. Then, last year, after seeing the increasing rate of deforestation, we thought of having an alternative solution to the problem. Our colleagues in Zomba helped us with business and technical skills of briquettes production from waste tree leaves and used paper. Right now, we are in the briquette-making business," said Suzan Ali Mzunga, the matron and treasurer of the Nsangu women's group, in an interview.

The group, which was established in 2018 to restore lost forest cover in the area, has been involved in tree planting exercises, and the briquettes are sold to people as fuel for cooking.

Mzunga added that the production of these briquettes generates income for the group after it sells the products to the local community.

The initiative also promotes environmental sustainability, while raising awareness of the threats deforestation poses to human livelihoods.

"Our vision is to have our own company and also a machine for making these briquettes, since as of now we use our own hands. As such, it becomes so hectic, and the demand is too high since we produce only two 50-kg bags of briquettes per day, which we sell at K4,000 per bag," said Rhoda Harawa, the chairperson of Nsangu Women Group.

"We need support from well-wishers who can help us acquire advanced machinery with the capacity to multiply the current production level to expand supply beyond our localities."

One of the customers, Hanifa Mponda of Group Village Head Nsumbi in the same area, encourages people to start using briquettes, saying they are affordable, cheap, and easy to use as compared to charcoal. and firewood.

"With only one 50 kg bag of briquettes worth K4,000. I use them for two months, while in the past, I was using one 50-kg bag of charcoal worth K7,000 for just a half month," Mponda said.

Another customer, Virinhu Dzimbiri of Mjogo village, Senior Chief Nankumba in Mangochi, who started using briquettes early this year, said briquettes burn well compared to charcoal.

"The briquettes save energy because they require only one full stove of briquettes. I can cook dry beans, nsima, and other things," Dzimbiri said.

Matthews Malata, one of the country’s advocates on environmental conservation and sustainability, commended the Nsangu women for the initiative.

"As a country,, we need more community-led interventions because these are the people that can sustain these programs. We just need to find a way of supporting this kind of community-led women's groups," said Malata, a champion of environmental sustainability under the National Planning Commission.

However, Mangochi District Forestry Officer, Leonard Kamangadazi, hinted that there is a need for more consultations to advise communities about ecosystem conservation and the resultant benefits. More importantly, how to market the products they are producing.

The Nsangu women's briquette group has a total of more than 40 women members.

They are now planning to eye clients outside their catchment area, hence the need to acquire machinery that can multiply the current production levels to satisfy the clients' demand.