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On Monday, Tag a Life International (TaLI), a girls’ and young women’s rights organisation conducted a groundbreaking ceremony in the Bravo village of Hurungwe.
With the view of reducing unpaid care work; gender-based violence; deforestation; and financial illiteracy,Tag a Life International launched the Young Women Empowerment Through Provision of Clean Renewable Energy for Domestic Use and Livelihoods project.
The project consists of setting up a biogas plant called the Water Jacket-overflow system with the capacity to produce 80 cubic metres of biogas. It also intends to introduce piggery production as well as the planting of an orchard; foster economic empowerment programmes as well as carry out
training on climate change, sustainable development, women’s rights and the use of biogas as a means of clean energy that addresses climate-change-related challenges.
“This project plan is meant to offer alternative and renewable energy that can be used for household use and reduces, if not removes, the daily task of fuelwood gathering, which can, in areas of scarcity, be the single most time-consuming task of especially young women who take more than three hours in some instances.
“Freeing up energy and time for young women in such circumstances often allows them to have time for other activities, some of which may be income-generating, and more so the use of firewood that has caused massive deforestation. Most girls and young women have been sexually abused on their way to source firewood,” said Nyaradzo Mashayamombe, the Director of Tag a Life International.
She said biogas production will reduce rape cases. Traditionally, men were the economically empowered group while young women were being abused and cases of gender-based violence were high in Bravo village.
“However, this project after relieving girls and young women of the burden of fetching firewood will empower them economically. The orchard production will empower girls and young women economically as they will sell the fruits. It will also contribute to their nutrition.”
The project beneficiaries are girls below the age of 24, young mothers below the age of 35 as well as a few elderly above 35 years.
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The village head of Bravo village handed over the land to TaLI. The land will be used for the 80m3 biogas digester, piggery production and orchard production. The Project is being supported by stakeholders like the Hurungwe Rural District Council (RDC); the Environmental Management Agency (EMA); Agricultural, Technical and Extension Services (Agritex), Women’s Affairs, Forestry Commission and Ministry of Youths just to mention a few.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting the project. The women in Bravo village welcomed the Project as they believe that it will go a long way in empowering girls and young women.