Project Kijani – Reducing Conflict through Entrepreneurship (Atebubu, ) | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Godwin Attigah(Ghana,USA) & Crystal Yuille(USA)

Section I

Project Goal

The goal of Project Kijani was to develop and distribute a clean, eco-friendly yet cheaper form of cooking fuel to the people of Ghana. Kijani Pellets are an improved and healthier alternative to charcoal and firewood, which are the primary sources of cooking fuel for most homes in Ghana. The proposed model of biomass makes use of locally sourced waste materials (sawdust and agricultural waste) which are processed into solid chunks of cooking fuel.

Project Summary

In addition to the $10,000 grant from Davis Projects for Peace, we received a $2000 grant from the 2017 Spring Carolina Challenge, a competition aimed at advancing UNC student-led projects. After arriving in Ghana, I coordinated with the project's representative to conclude the trainee hiring process. In partnership with the Assembly, we identified and hired the trainees. We then proceeded to acquire a warehouse for the pellet manufacturing process. Following this, we procured sawdust from the Wood Mills in Atebubu. This cut down the cost of transporting sawdust from in the . Given that we had already lost an appreciable amount of time to the acquisition of the pellet mill, this route helped ease the path to the inception of the program. We faced some challenges clearing the pellet mill and accompanying equipment through customs. Even though this was a huge setback to our timeline, we reclaimed this by pushing up our other timelines. To set the pace for our pilot run, the team including myself set out to talk to the people of Atebubu. The intent of this was to expand our understanding of the user base beyond the initial 40 charcoal users we had spoken with. Over the course of a week, we interacted with 200 charcoal and firewood users in Atebubu. The main parallel we established through our conversations with all of these individuals is how dangerous the primitive cooking fuels are to their health. In the words of Maame Donkor - "If we do not stop using charcoal and firewood, we will soon not have any land to farm on. The charcoal producers have taken over all of the fertile lands." Donkor is an avid user of charcoal whose main occupation is yam farming. Her concerns are based on the fact her yam farm depends on the availability of arable land. As her family’s sole breadwinner, if she loses her land to charcoal and firewood production, which is impending, she will not have any resources to feed herself and her family. Additionally, she had recently clashed with a charcoal producer who was cutting down trees on her farm. Motivated by the results of our research, we setup shop in our production warehouse. We had acquired the warehouse for the primary purpose of producing and storing the pellets. In total, we had 20 trainees to work with. We began by trying out several combinations of different variants of local waste (sawdust, cassava waste, corn hubs, groundnut shells, palm leaves, and plastic waste - water sachets). Over the course of a week, we had produced approximately five bags of clean cooking pellets from the aforementioned materials. Given the incessant rains during the testing period, we had to wait an extra number of days for the drying process to be completed. To prevent similar occurrences in the future, we built a homemade drying oven, which was also powered by the pellets we produced. Because of the awareness we had created through radio programs prior to and during the pellet milling process, getting people to test the pellets was not a cumbersome process. The market outreach program through the District Assembly was also an effective medium. We were able to distribute the pellet to 150 pilot homes. So far, the outcome has been positive on all fronts: 1. Pricing: The unit cost of the pellet bags are currently 40 pesewas cheaper than charcoal. As a result, the pilot families now spend 40% less on their cooking fuel purchases. Some families we spoke with, plan to spend the money they save from using the pellet on their children's education. 2. Smoke emission: The amount of smoke produced meets our current testing requirements of 3.5 μg/m3. 3. Calorific content and burn time: Based on user feedback, the longer burn time is one of the features they find enthusing about the Kijani Pellets. In addition to this, the pilot users were able to cook their meals in a shorter amount of time. 4. Soot and Ash Collection: Due to the lower amount of ash produced from using the Kijani Pellets, users spent less time cleaning their kitchen area after cooking. Consequently, the lower amount of soot produced will benefit the well-being of the pilot users. 5. Health Effects: Our interactions with the Atebubu Clinic indicates that 1 in every 5 visits could be attributed to charcoal and firewood use. Thus, they were delighted about the introduction of the Kijani Pellets. The aforementioned impacts of this project were nearly marred by the delay in procuring the pellet mill from the manufacturer. To ensure the timely completion of the project, we had to incur the extra cost of shipping it by air. This increased our budget allocation by $2500. Another challenge which increased the budget allocation was the delay in clearing the equipment through Gana’s Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS). This resulted in having to pay extra storage charges and import duties.

Section II

Sustainability

The positive feedback from the pilot project has attracted partners from surrounding communities. Currently, the District Assembly plans to enroll the project as part of the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP). Our successful integration into this program will foster an easy adoption path for micro- entrepreneurs who want to make and distribute the pellets in their locales. As this project falls in line with the new government’s vision of adopting local manufacturing in Ghana, we have already begun initial proposals to join the One-District-One-Factory Initiative by the Government of Ghana. The adoption rate of the pellet among the pilot households is a reason for excitement. People are eager to buy the pellets, a prospect we believe will help sustain the project in the long-term. In the interim, we are still investigating new variants of the pellets that will appeal to a broader mass of the public.

Peace Statement and Personal Lessons

Peace is the complete lack of restriction on an individual or group's upward mobility. The absence of war and large-scale conflict is just one component. Absolute peace is only achievable when people devoid of their socio-economic status are able to seek happiness in their careers, healthcare, relationships, and all other dimensions of life without any limitation. To the people of Atebubu and the rest of Ghana, Project Kijani beams the light of peace literally and figuratively. By reducing the reliance on wood-based cooking fuels, clashes between farmers and charcoal farmers will plummet and possibly die down altogether. Furthermore, the creation of jobs for individuals including the 20 trainees reduces the propensity to commit crime as they have gainful employment. Finally, by having extra funds to support child education, the prospects of children veering into crime will also be reduced. We are elated by the fact that through this small selfless act, we are on the verge of possibly eradicating deaths from cooking with primitive fuels, and consequently, providing a means of livelihood for several households. This project has validated my belief in community-based solutions.

“The project was remarkable for various reasons. The leadership of Godwin and the team in handling unforeseen obstacles was a great learning experience. Likewise, knowing that the project will make a difference in the lives of so many, and even impact future projects is awe-inspiring.” – Crystal Yuille

“My primary motivation for migrating to the United States to seek education was to seek new ways of helping solve some of Africa's primal challenges. My resolve is still strong because of opportunities like the Davis Peace Projects for Peace. While in Atebubu this summer, it dawned on me how much has been changed through Project Kijani. From the joyous laughs of our trainees, to the relieved expressions of farmers, I am glad to have been part of this journey to the future of a healthy and prosperous continent.” – Godwin Attigah