| Green Amayaga |

Minister Mujawamariya officiates the use of LPG donated to 20 schools by REMA through Green Amayaga Project

The Minister of Environment, Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya has on 3rd May 2023 launched the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for bulk cooking in 20 schools from four districts of the Green Amayaga Proje intervention area.

The LPG equipment were donated together with 20 tons of gas – one tone per school – by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) through the Green Amayaga Project being implemented in Kamonyi, Nyanza, Ruhango, and Gisagara Districts of Rwanda’s Southern Province.

LPG use in schools is not a common practice in Rwanda since schools have traditionally relied on firewood for their cooking activities.

Supplying the LPG facilities to the 20 schools is in line with one of Green Amayaga Project’s main objective to reducing the vulnerability of people and ecosystems to the adverse effects of climate change.

The LPG use will not only reduce pressure on forests, it will also reduce emissions, thus contributing to students’ wellbeing, and helping schools to save money that was usually spent to buy firewood.

Schools provided with LPG have praised the benefits of the new cooking system, explaining that it is much more convenient and time saving than traditional cooking methods which also contribute to deforestation.

“It takes less time to heat up and cook food. Additionally, LPG is much cleaner burning than charcoal or firewood, resulting in less smoke which was mostly affecting the cooks, students and the staff in general” said Sister Umumararungu Marie Pelagie, Headteacher of Groupe Scolaire Mater Dei in Nyanza District, Southern Province of Rwanda

Another benefit of LPG cooking is that it is more cost-effective in the long run as the cost is lower, making it a more economical choice for schools.

Father Mbarushimana André, from Sainte Bernadette School in Kamonyi district said that “We could spend Rwf 1.4 million per term with the traditional method but today with the LPG method we spend around Rwf 700 thousand.”

The schools are in a process to fully switch to LPGs.  “There is still a challenge of high cost of installation equipment, despite that, we are committed to fully switch to LPGs as we are now aware of LPG benefits compared to biomass fuel use” some school leaders said.

Rwanda’s Minister of Environment Dr. Mujawamariya reminded that there is nothing costlier than human life, which is the reason why everyone would consider using gas instead of using biomass fuel.

“I would not say that the equipment is expensive, because even cutting down the forests itself is more expensive for us because whenever we use firewood, we pollute the air at the same time polluting ourselves. You buy the equipment once, you save money and protect the planet from a lot of things that could threaten the environment and human life” She reminded.

To prevent the risks of cooking gas explosion, staff from the 20 schools were trained with full knowledge and skills to prevent any incident that can lead to that explosion.

So far, each school, at the beginning, was supported with 2 cooking pots that are connected to LPG system. Based on the LPG benefits, some schools are committed to buy more pots to be able to full switch to LPG use in the near future.

Whatsapp

Topics


More posts

LDCF3 Project’s Improved Cookstoves: A Dual Solution for Climate Change and Human Health

In a ground-breaking move towards sustainable living, the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) is making significant strides in the fight…

Read more →

From reluctance to acceptance: The LDCF3 Project beneficiaries embraces terraces for agricultural transformation

The beneficiaries of the Ecosystem/Landscape Approach to Climate Proof the Rural Settlement Programme of Rwanda, also known as LDCF3 Project, who…

Read more →

Rwanda welcomes historic COP28 decision to transition away from fossil fuels

The Government of Rwanda has welcomed the ground-breaking decision made at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework…

Read more →

Rwanda launches Carbon Market Framework to advance Climate Action for a Sustainable Future

Rwanda has today launched its National Carbon Market Framework in a significant stride towards a greener and more sustainable future. The framework…

Read more →

Over 45 professionals complete a capacity-building program in climate change analysis and reporting

Kigali, 17 November, 2023- Kigali, REMA, in collaboration with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Rwanda(AIMS_Rwanda), celebrated the…

Read more →

REMA’s LDCF3 Project distributes 5,000 improved cookstoves to beneficiaries to tackle climate change

The Rwanda Environment Management Authority distributes 5,000 improved cookstoves to beneficiaries of the Landscape Restoration Approach to Climate…

Read more →

BIOFIN’s Technical Advisor on Environmental Finance visits Rwanda to foster stakeholder engagement

The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN)’s Technical Advisor on Environmental Finance for Africa, Mr. Bruno Mweemba recently visited Rwanda from…

Read more →

World Ozone Day: REMA recognizes students and lecturers with technologies and eco-friendly cooling solutions

Rwanda in September 2023 joined the rest of the world to mark the World Ozone Day with the theme “Montreal Protocol: Fixing the Ozone layer and…

Read more →

Rwanda launches the first-ever calibration laboratories for meteorology, hydrology and air quality monitoring equipment

Rwanda will no longer outsource calibration services for meteorology, hydrology and air quality monitoring equipment, as these services will from now…

Read more →