Community members in Traditional Authority Maganga in Salima District have commended a sustainable energy initiative under Promoting Equitable Access to Clean Energy (Peace) project for providing them access to equitable and sustainable energy sources.
Speaking on Tuesday during a media tour to assess the impact of the project, a beneficiary, Zione Sankhulani from Mgawi Village, said she embraced sustainable energy use through cooking stoves that consume little firewood.
“Before the initiative, I could use more wood or charcoal to cook for my family, but now I use less because I have a cooking stove designed to consume less wood or charcoal,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Edita Dayimoni encouraged others to adopt sustainable energy resources to minimise deforestation which has affected rainfall pattern.
She thanked a consortium of non-governmental organisations, including Oxfam in Malawi, Centre for Environmental Policy Action and Civil Society Network on Climate Change for implementing the project with financial support from the European Union.
In his remarks, Oxfam in Malawi project coordinator Kondwani Mubisa said the project seeks to ensure that citizens are better informed and empowered to advocate for their right to energy.
He said: “We are advocating for the adoption of efficient and fair energy distribution systems and regulations in Malawi.
“We are working with communities in Salima and peri-urban areas of Lilongwe and Blantyre to strengthen an enabling environment for equitable access to clean energy.”
Mubisa said more people, especially in peri-urban areas, are adopting Mbaula Mbambande which uses little firewood.
