Aventus said it wants to get the best of the high demand for quality power supply in Kenya by generating wind and solar electricity for sale to the national grid or particular organisations.

The entry of the company into the country is expected to increase activity in the local renewable energy industry, especially at the medium scale level that is currently underserved.

download our entire story here  ABPP 2011 Annual Report (51)

Alexander Chege and his wife were among the first farmers to install a biogas plant on their homestead in Kimende, Kiambu region of Kenya. Kimende is now a biogas ‘hub’ with over 50 clients already. Biogas is doing the Chege family really good, especially in terms of savings. The family of six used to spend a lot on charcoal before, as they needed to boil a lot of water for milking their cows, about twenty of them. They used to spend around Ksh 4,000 (€ 33) monthly on charcoal and other cooking fuels. Today, they only use biogas, which is reliable and plenty available.

Besides biogas, the bio-slurry is very useful. Before, they were using a lot of chemical fertilizer on commercial crops, up to Ksh 50,000 (€ 410) per season.

For the Chege family, the initial investment of around Ksh 75,000 (€ 615), exclusive of subsidy, is already recouped within a year. Income from milk and improved crop sales repaid their loan in a short period.

 
 

Last Thursday I attended the closing ceremony of Kenya’s first mason training of this year. In these trainings, people working in masonry and related construction work are being trained “on the job”, to become certified biogas constructors. In Kenya, the training consists of two theoretical days, and eight practical days. At the end of the training, one or two digesters are built and ready for operation.

I was especially interested to visit the ceremony because five women participated in this training (out of a total of 28). This might seem low, but compared with other countries one fifth women in these trainings is quite high.

All national biogas programmes have difficulties finding women that want to become a biogas constructor. It’s part of my job to motivate staff to ensure that not only men are trained and to take special measures to include more women. Women can be very good biogas contractors (or biogas entrepreneurs, as multiple jobs are possible in this field). In marketing and extension they have an added value; as the prospective clients are also women. Female biogas entrepreneurs can explain more easily to the client how the digester and the stove have to be operated.

However, until now only few women have been trained in the several countries. I have been told that women are not strong enough (or not technical enough) to do the physical work associated with masonry. Also culturally it is not accepted that women do this kind of work. The female trainees I spoke with yesterday mentioned this as well. These women, farmers themselves, heard about the trainings via a women’s farmer group and decided they wanted to join, as it gives them a good new job opportunity.

It is much appreciated that the national programme brings in these motivated women. Their number can even increase with some simple solutions such as the provision of child care, holding trainings close to women’s homes or designing trainings that start with basic masonry skills. But it would be a waste to stop with taking extra efforts once a certain number is achieved. Women – and men – that have no experience in masonry don’t possess the skills yet to start building biogas plants after just one ten days training. I doubt whether these four ladies are going to be constructors now, and they also did not seem to be too sure themselves. In fact, most trained masons have difficulties in developing their entrepreneurial skills as was already discovered in Tanzania.

Therefore, different kinds of measures can be taken to give these women extra follow-up support. It’s not enough to bring in women as trainees. This support should not only be technical, but it should also focus on business skills and confidence building. These women can become perfectly capably to build digesters, but they will need to be self- confident enough to start a biogas business, go to farms and sell their product; and also to convince the clients that women can be great biogas entrepreneurs.

All national programmes are struggling with this issue. Some are quite creatively and actively looking for ways to improve women’s participation. I am therefore looking forward to share some experiences and lessons among the programmes this year and moreover, to have some role-models within this programme to motivate other women.

Almost thirty households have biogas now and even more in the area surrounding Kimende. The launch took place at a school yard but before that the biogas plant of Mr & Mrs Chege was officially inaugurated. This household is a typical biogas client, having more than enough dairy cows nicely stabled and some land on which they dispose the bio-slurry. They are one of the first to install biogas and enthusiastic promoters. I already visited this household in March this year. At that time the plant was still under construction.

 

Clear benefits

It is working very well now and provides the family of six with enough gas for all their cooking and heating of water for the cows. As this family was using charcoal and firewood before the installation, the benefits are clear to them in terms of finances, health, but also convenient and fast cooking.

After the inauguration the programme continued at Kimendes Secondary School, where many villagers came as it also had an exhibition of biogas companies, other Renewable Energy companies, and other stakeholders, incl. Equity bank which provides credit for biogas. The Assistant Minister of Energy came to officially launch the programme and together with him some other VIP’s gave speeches.

More than 600 digesters

The Kenya programme is doing quite well. It effectively rolled out the beginning of this year and has constructed over 600 digesters so far, which is quite an achievement.